


Pursuit

by DirtyLarryStylinson



Series: Pursuit [1]
Category: Larry Stylinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bottom Louis, Dark Harry, Eventual Smut, Everyone is scared of Harry, Innocent Louis, M/M, Maybe... :(, Mysterious Harry, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Stalker Harry, Stalking, Top Harry, Unhappy Ending, Violent Harry, larry stylinson - Freeform, problematic relationship, sexual harry, they should be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:50:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 65
Words: 160,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5164454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtyLarryStylinson/pseuds/DirtyLarryStylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2w4fvic"></a>
  <br/>
  <img/>
</p><p>Some people may deceive you by acting pleasant and friendly to begin with, but their demeanour can sometimes take a sinister turn when obsession kicks in.</p><p>Louis Tomlinson is seventeen years old and carefree. He has close friends and family, a stable education and a pretty good life overall, so what could go wrong?</p><p>Well, a lot. Especially when you've attracted the interest of Harry Styles, who hides a staggeringly frightening secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the first chapter and I hope it's okay, in some way, shape or form. I decided to add Harry into the first chapter so it's not boring. Anyway - enjoy!
> 
> Note: Harry starts off being kinda friendly, so yeah.
> 
> Harry: [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2edo294)
> 
> Louis: [](http://tinypic.com?ref=w2d112)

"Niall, not to be mean but that t-shirt looks absolutely horrendous on you." Louis disclosed with a mischievous smirk, eyeing up the indecently tight item of clothing that Niall had admired and tried on in a clothes shop. The stifled laugh from Liam showcased to Niall that he agreed with Louis' comment. 

Niall shot a death glare at them both in the mirror before letting his eyes look over the skintight, sky blue t-shirt, that defined just about every slight dip or curve on his torso as it adorned it.

"It is a little tight, actually," He heartily chuckled, "I might as well have just painted a t-shirt on myself because there would barely be a difference."

The three of them laughed at Niall's comparison, before Niall decided to head back into the changing room to remove the ridiculous item of clothing. 

Don't get Louis wrong, it wasn't his idea to trudge around Frenchgate shopping centre on a late Saturday afternoon - it was the rain's fault. If it wasn't for the inappropriately heavy rain and mighty wind whistling around outside, the three of them would have been enjoying a game of footie in the park, but instead they were wasting away their weekend in this lifeless setting.

"Guys, can we grab some food next? I'm fucking starving!" Niall yelled from behind the changing room curtain, causing a few older passers by to wrinkle their noses in disapproval from the use of the curse word. This just caused Louis to cackle a laugh.

"Yeah, sure," He confirmed. "Just fucking hurry up!" And, yeah, he used the same swearword as Niall previously had, just to provoke the same disgusted reaction from the same shoppers as before, because that was just what Louis was like. A type of joker, if you will.

Niall soon finished changing back into his original t-shirt, leaving the discarded one crumpled up on the floor in the changing room. Now that was _Niall's_ persona for you - absolutely careless.

The three of them made their way to a little café which was located in the busier area of the centre. Louis wasn't hungry or thirsty at all, so he took a seat in a booth in the corner while his two friends queued up to order at the till. As Louis waited, drumming his fingernails on the tabletop and humming to himself, his phone buzzed in his front pocket. He immediately sighed to himself, knowing it was inevitably going to be his dad asking where he was. Something along those lines.

He pulled it out to find that his guess was half correct.

From Dad - To Louis: Where are you Louis? I need to ask a favour of you, involving your car.

Louis should've guessed that it'd be something of that category. Since he passed his driving test a few months back, he had been constantly bombarded by his parents to "do them favours" by driving here and there, all the bloody time. It was like the only reason they had paid for his lessons was so he could be their personal chauffeur.

From Louis - To Dad: I'm hanging out with Li and Ni. What do you want?

From Dad - To Louis: I can sense your attitude over text. Don't try it. I need you to take Felicite to her dance class in twenty minutes. You know where it is.

Louis groaned aloud in annoyance, not even caring that people might find it strange for a boy, sat alone, to be groaning to himself in a café.

From Louis - To Dad: Why can't you or mum take her? I'm busy with my mates at the moment. Or Fizzy can just get the bus there, can't she?

From Dad - To Louis: Don't be so selfish! Your mum and I are watching a film, we're busy. And I'm sure your sister would rather not wait around in the rain for the bus. Go and get her. Her class starts at 3 so you'll have to get here quickly to pick her up.

Knowing he could protest no longer, Louis stood up and waved to get Liam's attention.

"I've gotta go, guys. My taxi services are needed." He called, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, Lou, see you later!" Liam replied, sending a steady wave Louis' way before turning back to face the menu. Louis called a goodbye to Niall too before turning and leaving the café.

* * *

Louis was sat in his car, outside his family's house, with the windscreen wipers continuously swiping newly laid raindrops from the glass. He was waiting for Felicite to leave the house and get in the car but she was seemingly taking forever to do so. Louis turned on the radio at a medium volume, tapping his hand on the steering wheel to the rhythm of an upbeat song, and Felicite finally ran out the house. She was dramatically shielding her face from the rain with her arms, sprinting out to the car and jumping in.

"My hair! It's ruined!" She whined, after pulling down the car's sun visor and glancing into the mirror on it.

"Okay, it looks bad - we've established that now. So shut up and let me drive." Louis snapped, pulling the car out into the road and running one hand through his hair in indignation.

"What's with the bad mood?" Felicite detected. Louis just wanted to slap her and tell her to shut up, but he restrained it.

"The fact that I had to drop everything I was doing just to take you to your _stupid_ class." Louis muttered, before turning the radio up to block out his sister's response - whatever that was - some sort of mutter regarding why her class wasn't stupid. They exchanged no more words throughout the entire journey to the local sports centre. The only sound that filled the space in Louis' car was some Indie band on the radio - whom he had no care of trying to enjoy - and the heavy rain drumming on the roof.

He pulled into a space in the sports centre's car park, switching off the car's engine before slowly exhaling and turning to his sister.

"Bye." He remarked flatly, hinting that it was her cue to get out of his car.

"Can you walk me in?" She nervously inquired. "Just come and wait with me before I go into class, please?"

"Really?" Louis sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fizzy, you're thirteen. Do you really need your big brother to hold your bloody hand? And it's raining too!"

"Please, Louis?" She begged. "Just while I settle down."

He couldn't exactly say no, could he?

"Fine," Louis gave in, raising his hands in surrender. "That's absolutely fine."

"Thank you!" Felicite smiled, unplugging her seatbelt and jumping out car, then shielding herself from the rain again. Louis did the same, before locking his car and jogging by Felicite's side towards the entrance of the sports centre. Louis stuffed his car keys into his pocket, alongside his phone.

He had learnt from experience that you should always keep your valuables in one pocket because that way you only have to keep an eye on that specific pocket. He had been pickpocketed in the past and had lost his phone as a result, so that was his lesson to keep track of his things and be more vigilant.

Felicite opened the door of the centre, revealing many girls her age dressed in lycra clothing and sweatbands. Louis hated how he immediately had young teenage girls nudging each other and giggling when they saw him, obviously having an instant petty crush on him.

"Sorry about all of them," Felicite whispered, when she and Louis had taken a seat in the waiting area, "They're all boy-crazy at the moment."

Louis raised his eyebrows in response before casually pulling his phone out. He scrolled through his instagram feed in order to ignore the girls swooning over him, and almost thanked God when the middle aged woman who was their dance teacher exited a room from the back and greeted the girls.

"Are you going to be joining us?" She joked to Louis, sporting a look that told him she was blatantly flirting. What was it with all the females around here? Maybe the fact that Louis was the only male in the room.

The other girls in the room giggled amongst themselves again at the reference to Louis, whereas he and Felicite rolled their eyes at each other when no one else was looking.

"Just dropping my sister off," Louis faked a smile towards everyone, "Leaving now. Bye, Felicite."

"Bye, Louis!" She brightly called back, waving him off.

He stood up, sending a reciprocated wave his sister's way, and speedily rushed out before those girls literally tore him to shreds. He very speedily walked back towards his car, trying to avoid the rain as much as possible. He pulled out his phone in the process to check whether he had any text messages, and then he reached into his pocket to retrieve his car keys.

They weren't there.

"What the hell?" Louis muttered to himself, stuffing his phone under his arm so he could pat all the pockets of his jeans. They were all empty, and the rain only seemed to be getting heavier by the second.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Louis muttered to himself, slamming his fist down onto the roof of his car. "SHIT!"

He was locked out of his car in the rain, with no way home. His mood, like the rain, wasn't getting any lighter.

"Bloody hell!" He exclaimed, pacing around and trying to spot his car keys on the ground anywhere. The ground consisted of pebbles and long grass, making it virtually impossible to spot anything. He'd probably accidently pulled them from his pocket and dropped them while getting his phone out, but he couldn't see them anywhere. "Fuck my life. Fuck it." He growled, placing his head in his hands on the car's roof.

"Are you okay there?" A deep, husky voice called out, practically causing Louis to jump out of his skin. He quickly spun on his feet to face a tall, skinny boy, who was leaning on one hip with a smirk on his face. Okay, he was pretty hot, and now Louis felt like an absolute idiot because he had just been caught having a complete breakdown over losing his car keys.

"I'm, umm, I'm fine." He mumbled. It was a complete lie. He was far from fine. He was car key-less and soaking wet from the rain.

"You look a bit frustrated," The boy solved. "Why are you stood here swearing at your car?"

Louis found himself letting out an awkward laugh, although he was too pissed off to want to have a joke around with a curly haired boy whom he had just met. He just wanted to get home and into the warm.

"Lost my car keys," He dryly informed, "Kinda locked out of my car now."

"Well, do you need a lift home?" The other asked, pretty forwardly. Yes, Louis would appreciate that, however his mum constantly reminded him and his siblings never to get into a stranger's car. It wasn't like this guy looked particularly dangerous -- he was just really good looking. With his piercing facial features, soft-looking curly hair and emerald eyes, what was there to be scared of?

"I shouldn't really get into the car with a stranger," Louis reasoned, gripping onto the last ounce of common sense he possessed, "I don't, like... know you."

"C'mon, I'm not gonna kidnap you." The boy laughed. It was such a light laugh that Louis was slightly relaxed by it.

"Do you promise?" It was a stupid question. A potential kidnapper wasn't just going to step forward and say "Actually, man, I was considering it!" were they?

"I promise. Now c'mon, let's get out of this rain!"

Louis made sure his phone was securely in his pocket, giving his car one last glance before following sheepishly behind the other boy, to his vehicle: a black BMW X5.

"Jump in," The other guy instructed, after unlocking the car. Louis awkwardly climbed into the passenger seat of the seemingly new car, shutting the door behind him and settling into the leather seat. The boy, whose name Louis hadn't even cared to ask, got into the driver's side and they both strapped in their seatbelts.

"So, where is it you need to go?" He questioned, starting the engine and turning to Louis.

Okay, this was where Louis had to be wary. He wasn't going to tell this absolute stranger his precise address because that would definitely be a bad move.

"Umm, just drop me at the park near the pub?" Louis suggested. This 'park' was a couple of minutes from Louis' house itself, meaning he wouldn't have too far to walk to arrive home, nor would he be exposing where he lived.

"No problem." The boy smiled, reversing out of the parking space and turning the car out of the car park. The atmosphere was eerily silent as the vehicle sped along the roads. Louis could practically hear his own heartbeat in his ears, wanting to say something - anything - but was unsure of what. Most of the journey, like the one with Felicite on the way to the sports centre, was quiet, but this was more strange because it was a guy Louis had only met five minutes beforehand. After seven or so minutes, they came to the turning.

"Okay, just turn left here." Louis piped, pointing to the upcoming turning onto the road with the park on. He felt his stomach drop when the boy completely blanked his instruction out, continuing to drive and missing the turning completely.

"You... you missed the turning." Louis muttered, breathing beginning to get more erratic as his mind clouded with horror. Was he being kidnapped?

"I know," Was all the other boy spoke, before a smirk slowly rose onto his face, "Did you really think I'd take you home?"

"What the fuck, let me out of this car!" Louis demanded, pulling on the door handle to find that it was locked. "I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW, I'LL... I'LL..."

"Just relax," The boy softly commanded, "It's okay."

"IT'S NOT FUCKING OKAY, THIS IS KIDNAPPING! YOU'RE KIDNAPPING ME! IT'S-"

He trailed off when he noticed that the car had come to a stop by the required park, having taken a different, foreign route to what Louis knew. He immediately became the epitome of confused, face reddening slowly.

"I was kidding!" The other cackled. "Did you actually think I was kidnapping you?"

"WHAT KIND OF SICK FUCKING JOKE DO YOU CALL THAT?!" Louis raged. "THAT WAS NOT FUNNY!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I apologise. I shouldn't have-"

"Just shut up," Louis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in stress. "Look, thanks for the ride home but... not for that so-called joke! I should be punching you in the face right now, to be honest!"

The boy's smirk remained as he stared at Louis. "You're welcome."

Louis gave one nod before unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the car door. "Goodbye."

"Bye."

Louis jumped out of the vehicle, legs still shaky from the traumatic experience, and he gave one more bland "Thank You" before slamming the car door shut. The curly haired boy gave a cheeky wink towards Louis, with that damn smirk, before speeding off down the road, leaving Louis contemplating whether all of that had actually just happened or whether he had dreamt it.


	2. Chapter 2

Louis' parents weren't one bit pleased when they uncovered that he had both lost his car keys and gotten a lift home from a stranger. His initial plan was to sneak in and run upstairs, but this all fell in on itself when he realised he'd have to actually inform his mum and dad that Felicite had no way of getting home after her dance class.

"Louis, I can't believe how irresponsible you've been!" Jay, his mum, exclaimed in vexation. "How in the world did you manage to lose your car keys?!"

"I don't know! I checked in my pocket and they were... gone." Louis shrugged, casually picking at his fingernail as he leant against the doorframe of the living room, refraining from making any eye contact with either family member.

"What I find more disgraceful than you losing your keys is the fact that you got into a car with a bloody stranger! Louis, you had no idea what could have happened!" Mark, his dad, snapped. Louis almost got a taste of what could have happened because of how infantile and inappropriate the boy had acted by "pretending" to kidnap him. No way was that in any way humorous, but Louis wasn't going to mention that experience to his parents because they'd be even more agitated by it.

"I got home in one piece, didn't I?" Louis reasoned, raising an eyebrow at them. "I'm not stupid, guys, I'm seventeen!"

Okay, Louis said he wasn't stupid and was acting as though he was strong and self-reliant, however the curly-haired boy who brought him home could have easily kidnapped him because the car doors were locked, and Louis had no idea at the time what he was supposed to do. He wasn't the type of person to hurt someone else, although he did threaten to punch the 'false kidnapper guy' afterwards.

"So when I go and pick Fizzy up, considering you've now left me no choice but to, you're going to come with me and see if your keys were handed in." Jay flatly commanded. "Although I doubt anybody would be honest enough to turn them in if they found them."

"Fine," Louis breathed, "I'll come with you."

"Good. Now, can you go and play Barbies with Daisy and Phoebe? They needed someone to play Ken in their game."

Louis groaned in annoyance. "Do I have to? I'm seventeen, I don't want to be spending my time playing with plastic dolls."

"Do as your mother says. They're your sisters, for goodness sake!" Mark shouted, pointing towards the door.

"Whatever." Louis grumbled.

* * *

The rain had stopped by the time Louis and his mum left to go and get Felicite. They jumped into Jay's car, and Louis pretty much crossed his fingers all the way there in hope that somebody had found and handed in his car keys.

Believe it or not, Louis' car was still sat in the car park, speckled with raindrops from the earlier rain showers, and completely untouched. He didn't know why anybody would have even attempted to steal his car anyway, because it was a piece of crap that his dad had gotten for free, secondhand off one of his mates. At least it was a way to get around, though, so Louis was grateful nevertheless.

He and his mum entered the sports centre again, and she sat in the waiting area while Louis approached the reception and confidently addressed the woman working there.

"Hi," He greeted, so the lady looked up and pushed her glasses up so they were resting on top of her head, with a welcoming smile.

"Good afternoon, Sir. How can I help?" She beamed, placing the tips of her fingers together on either hand.

"I was just wondering whether you've had any car keys handed in today, for a Ford." Louis stated, tapping his fingers on the oak desk.

"We have, actually!" She perked up, reaching in a drawer on her left and pulling out what were unmistakeably Louis' car keys. "Luckily for you!"

Louis' eyebrows actually rose in shock. He wasn't certain he'd even see his keys again. "Wow, thanks! Who handed them in?" He asked, taking the keys from the lady.

"Tall gentleman. Curly hair." She responsed, turning and continuing to absent-mindedly type away at her computer. Louis' face slowly contorted into that of confusion, because that description sounded a hell of a lot like the boy who had dropped him home earlier that day.

"Wait... did he have a slow sort of voice? Really deep?"

"That's right, yeah."

"When did he hand these in?" Louis interrogated, admiring the keys again.

"About forty-five minutes ago." She estimated, after checking the clock on the wall. Louis let out a breathy laugh, one that was brought on by being unable to comprehend what was going on.

"I'm just confused because the guy who handed them in is actually the person who gave me a lift home." He notified, twirling the keys around his index finger.

"Weird," The woman mused, brow crinkling also in cluelessness. "Maybe he liked you, eh?"

"I don't know, he gave off a weird vibe." Louis shivered. It was true: the boy seemed too mysterious for Louis' liking. Yeah, that was it. He was enigmatic. "Anyway, thanks for the help."

"No problem, Sir. I hope you solve this strange puzzle." She chuckled, before Louis smiled and turned away, heading back to the waiting area to find that Felicite was now stood with Jay, chatting away.

"So?" Jay asked expectantly, when she saw her son wandering over. He held up the keys, waving them around with a smug smile. "You're very lucky, Louis. Let this be a lesson to be more careful!"

Not only was it a lesson to be more careful, but also a lesson to keep an eye on that curly-haired guy, if he were to cross Louis' path again. He was too unreadable.

* * *

Louis was woken up early on Sunday morning (the day on which he was supposed to have a well deserved lie-in) by Lottie - another of his sisters.

"Get up. Mum said you're taking Daisy and Phoebe shopping for new school shoes." She demanded, pulling open Louis' curtains so he sleepily groaned and stuffed a pillow over his eyes when they were stung by the brightness of the morning light.

"For fuck's sake, why am I only being told this now?" He croaked, voice still hoarse as it was still taken over by tiredness. His sister simply shrugged before leaving his bedroom once again, making sure to loudly slam the door behind her. Probably to make sure he didn't fall asleep again.

Louis stayed in bed for a further ten minutes anyway, continuously close to dozing off, until his dad angrily yelled up the stairs for him to "get your lazy arse out of bed and take your sisters out!" He never argued with his dad because that never ever ended well. He'd always either get majorly told off or would sometimes even get a slap around the face if he spoke back too sassily.

He didn't even bother to dress smartly, seeing as he was only going to the local shopping centre - for the second day in a row now. He brushed his teeth before dressing in slim fit grey sweatpants and a burgundy t-shirt, partnering it all with some scruffy black Vans.

His sisters were dressed up in their matching dungarees, sitting on the bottom step of the staircase as Jay tied up their shoelaces, meaning Louis had to try and step over them to get past.

"Come on, girls, haven't got all day." Louis joked, stretching his arms above him and heavily breathing in. They jumped up from the step when their laces were tied up, bouncing over to Louis and standing by his side.

"Lou, buy them lunch or something too. Make a day of it, yeah?" Mark insisted. "Don't just pick up the first shoes you find and come home again. I know what you're like."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Louis rolled his eyes, "Come on, you two." He ushered the twins out the front door, waving a goodbye to his parents before leaving the house altogether.

* * *

"Phoebe, I'm pretty sure your teachers wouldn't appreciate you strutting into school in glittery wellie boots." Louis chuckled, putting her choice of shoes back onto the shelf. They had already spent about twenty minutes just trying to find some suitable shoes for the girls. They only had to be black and durable. That's all. Who knew finding shoes to fit this agenda would be so difficult?

"How about these ones?" Louis questioned, picking up a pair of pretty leather ones and holding them up to the eyeline of the girls.

"They're boring." Daisy whined, turning her nose up at them, causing Louis to roll his eyes and place them back on the shelf - which seemed like a routinely gesture now.

"Well what else can I suggest?" He sighed. "You two are too fussy."

He started browsing other shoes displayed along the shelves, until something stopped him.

"Hey!" A recognisable voice exclaimed in hoax surprise, from behind Louis. "Who'd have thought I'd bump into you again, huh?"

Louis had absolutely tensed up just from the sound of the voice. He slowly turned on his feet to find the curly-haired boy. The boy who had brought him home, after pretending to kidnap him. The boy who had strangely returned his car keys after giving him a lift home.

"Oh, umm," Louis was pretty shocked and speechless. Yes, the boy was pretty hot, but Louis didn't want to talk to him after discovering his strange nature. "Hi?"

"Hey, guys!" The boy enthusiastically greeted Daisy and Phoebe. Louis pulled them in protectively by his sides, before letting out an awkward laugh.

"Sorry, but... not to be mean, well..." Louis didn't know how to put it lightly, "I-I don't really want to talk to you, to be honest. Sorry."

The boy's face clearly fell in disappointment. "Oh." Was all he muttered.

"Sorry. Look, I still appreciate that you gave me a lift home but that doesn't mean we're, like, friends now." Louis gently said. Daisy and Phoebe were eyeing Harry curiously, although Louis could tell they didn't mind him being there.

"Okay, that's fine, I guess." He shrugged, putting on a slight pout and scuffing his long, grey boot against the rough, carpeted floor. "I guess this is goodbye then, Louis."

And the boy turned away and started walking away, until Louis' stomach flipped and his eyes widened when he analysed what had been said.

"Wait, wait, wait," He called, causing the boy to slowly stop and turn back around, hands in pockets and head slightly tilted to the side.

"Yeah?"

"You just said my name, how do you know it? We never... we never exchanged names..."

"Oh, I'm Harry." The other smiled, holding a hand out, however Louis declined it and continued.

"Girls, can you go and stand over there for a second?" He commanded, pointing to the area in the corner of the shop with sofas and stools, where people could try shoes on. They looked hesitant but listened, and Louis quickly gave them a reassuring smile as they walked away, before dropping it when he turned to face "Harry" again.

"I wasn't asking for a fucking introduction, I was asking how the hell you know my name!" Louis hissed, eyes narrowing, keeping the volume of his voice down so his siblings didn't overhear. He was shocked to see that Harry's only reaction was to let out an amused laugh. "What? It's not fucking funny!"

"You said you didn't want to know me anymore," Harry smugly remarked, "So I better get going. See you round, Looouis." He purposely drawled out the name, shooting that signature smirk at Louis before quickly heading away.

Louis was left lost for words. Something weird was definitely going on here. How did Harry find out his name, without having sheer intention to? And why didn't he just give Louis his car keys at the time, instead of giving him a lift home?

He watched Harry's slim, tall build leave the shop, stuffing his hands in his pockets and giving Louis one last glance through the glass shop window before disappearing out of sight.

If this wasn't just a weird misinterpretation, and Louis had accidentally looked at it differently, Harry would have given an explanation as to how he came to know Louis' name. But... no. Harry just said nothing more about it.


	3. Chapter 3

School: the breeding ground of egotistical snobs. The place in which cocky, arrogant students thrived, and ultimately strived to be better than everybody else. Some may have said they enjoyed school, but Louis and his friends certainly didn't fit into this category. A process where you were forced to wake up too early to handle, just to attend a place you'd have preferred not to be. It seemed pointless.

Louis was trying to keep his mind clear throughout his classes, but he couldn't help but contemplate how the hell Harry had uncovered his name without asking. They definitely didn't get as far as sharing names, because all Louis remembered speaking to Harry about on the day they met was losing his keys, and obviously then yelling at him for 'kidnapping' him. That was it. He didn't know whether to tell Liam and Niall, as they were the only people he could tell without getting a rant (which was inevitable if he were to tell his parents. They'd remind him that he shared a lift with a stranger and was henceforth getting himself into this mess).

He decided it was time to tell someone at lunchtime, aka Liam and Niall. He didn't know how to lightly put it, but he just went for it when the three of them were all sat at a table in the canteen.

"So, I had an eventful weekend." He began. Liam hummed in acknowledgment, whereas Niall was picking the lettuce out of his sandwich in minimum interest. "Basically, I lost my car keys and then a stranger gave me a lift home."

"How's that eventful?" Niall chuckled, talking with his mouth full after taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Because the guy who brought me home weirdly returned my car keys afterwards, somehow ran into me into a shoe shop yesterday and now knows my name." Louis broke it to them, knowing it probably didn't sound as interesting in description as it did from experiencing it.

"Wait," Liam said, "He knows your name? Surely you must have exchanged names, right? He doesn't just know it."

"We didn't exchange names. I promise you."

Niall hummed in thought, furrowing his eyebrows and staring off into space. "How d'you know he knows it?"

"I told him I didn't want to talk to him in the shop because, well, he was pretty hot, but he must be weird seeing as he didn't just give me my car keys back, so I told him to leave me alone and he said my name as he was leaving." Louis explained in one breath. Niall didn't look convinced, whereas Liam was deep in thought.

"Not to be funny but are you sure you're not lying? Seems like you could just be saying this because you think he's hot." Niall accused, causing Louis' jaw to drop in shock.

"Are you serious? Why would I lie about that?" Louis spat, unable to believe Niall would think he was making it up.

"Don't argue, guys. I believe you, Louis," Liam reassuringly smiled, "But let's not make a huge deal out of it, yeah? Let's drop it now."

"I shouldn't have even mentioned it." Louis muttered to himself, crossing his arms over his chest. They said nothing more about it.

* * *

It finally reached the end of the school day. Students poured from the buildings from different exits, some making their way to school buses and others to their cars in the car park.

Louis, Liam and Niall made their way to the car park. Every day, Louis drove them all home, but as it was a Monday they were first going to stop at a local milkshake place for a while - as usual. They all jumped into Louis' car and he drove them to their destination.

When they were inside the reasonably crowded shop, they ordered their usual choices before all sitting in a booth in the corner: Louis sat facing the rest of the milkshake shop and his two friends opposite and facing him. Their usual football debate began, discussing the latest results in the premier league games.

Partway through their debate, however, the bell above the door rang when someone came in. Louis' breath caught in his throat and he felt his face pale. Of course, it was Harry. He was alone, dressed in a white t-shirt and skintight black jeans.

He instantly locked eyes with Louis, as though he knew he was going to see him there. He took a seat in a chair across the shop, but it was facing Louis' way. His lips quirked into a smirk, before his right eye dropped an obvious wink. Louis sucked in a harsh breath, eyes looking at his friends again to find concern written all over their faces.

"Louis, are you okay?" Liam questioned, noticing how Louis had silenced and his body language was evidently tense compared to a few moments ago. Louis wanted to tell them that Harry was sat there but they earlier said they weren't going to talk about that again. Plus, Niall would get annoyed because he didn't even believe the ordeal with Harry in the first place.

Louis gulped, before responding in a complete lie. "I'm fine."

His voice had wavered slightly, so his mates weren't convinced. They carried on talking anyway, while Louis tried his hardest not to look in Harry's direction. He could feel the powerful gaze on him from across the room and it was almost unbearable.

What creeped Louis out the most was the fact that Harry wasn't even purchasing anything. Did he, before he knew Louis was in there, intend to randomly sit in there and stare into space? It seemed highly unlikely.

Louis couldn't help but give a curious glance towards Harry, just quickly, to find that he was seductively biting his bottom lip, head tilted slightly to the side. Louis felt a shiver go down his spine.

"Louis, what the hell is wrong?" Niall snapped, causing Louis to jump and look at the two of them again.

"Liam, can I talk to you in the bathroom quickly?" Louis sternly asked, gaze flicking to him. Liam looked confused but agreed, standing up. Niall's eyebrows were furrowed, wondering why he hadn't been asked too, but it was simply because he didn't want to believe Louis. That annoyed him.

Niall stayed sat in the booth as Louis and Liam hurried off towards the boys' toilets. Louis tried to ignore the fact that Harry's eyes traced his every move; watching him. Once they were in there, Louis ran his hands through his hair and Liam waited with crossed arms.

"What is it?" He quizzed.

"Harry's in there." Louis stressed, meeting Liam's gaze. Liam's eyebrows raised.

"Seriously? Does he know you're here?"

"Well he winked at me and bit his lip. So I'd say he doesn't know." Louis exclaimed sarcastically, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Shit," Liam cursed, "Can you not just ignore him?"

"Not really, when he's sat there literally staring at me. And he hasn't even bought anything! He just walked in and sat down!"

"Calm down, Lou. Look, we'll leave if that'll make you more comfortable." Liam offered.

"I just don't understand how I've seen him again," Louis mused, completely ignoring Liam's suggestion. "Surely that's not just a coincidence, right?"

"I think you're just over-thinking things. Let's go back out there and just sit down. You can swap seats with me so you don't have to sit facing him. Okay?"

"Thank you." Louis breathed. He followed Liam back out of the bathroom, keeping his head low, but he raised his eyebrows in surprise to find that Harry was gone when he cautiously glanced upwards. Strange.

Niall, as soon as he saw his two friends, grabbed his bag and stood up. "Guys, we should go." He mumbled, seeming quite off. Maybe it was because he thought the other two were talking about him. Whatever it was, it made Niall's face become emotionless.

"Umm, okay?" Liam questioned, looking at Louis for confirmation.

"Yeah, let's go." Louis forced a weak smile. He and Liam abruptly grabbed their stuff and they all made their way out of there. It was silent during the walk to the car, and so was getting into the car and reversing out of the parking space.

Louis sighed, glancing back at Niall in the rearview mirror before concentrating on the road again.

"Niall, are you alright? We weren't talking about you, y'know?" He reassured, filling the silence.

"I know, it's nothing." Niall quickly replied, although his voice lacked its usual brightness. He was staring out the car window, avoiding eye contact with either of them. He was quite an attention seeker sometimes, so Louis wasn't surprised he was acting like this. Probably for a stupid reason too - about Liam and Louis running off into the toilets without him.

"Are you sure?" Liam chipped in. "You don't seem okay."

"I think I'm just a bit tired," Niall gave a quick smile, even though it was blatantly non-genuine. "Need some sleep."

"If you're sure." Louis firmly said, keeping his eyes on the road. They soon pulled up to Niall's house, stopping before he jumped out. He said a hasty goodbye before slamming the car door and walking up the path to his front door. Louis sped away again.

"He's too wary. He probably thinks we were gossiping about him. Shouldn't he know we don't do that?" Liam immediately exclaimed - doing just what he said they don't do.

"I don't know. Maybe he is tired, who knows? We'll see how he is tomorrow." Louis figured. Not too long later, they arrived at Liam's house.

"Anyway, about that Harry thing," Liam sighed, grabbing his bag and preparing to get out the car, "We'll see if you run into him anywhere else. I think you may just be stressing out a bit too much, mate."

"Okay, Li. Thanks for understanding." Louis grinned.

"Anytime." Liam gave a friendly wink, patting Louis' leg before getting out the car and shutting the door. Louis waited until he had gone into his house before driving away again, finally on his own way home. He now had some time to do some reflective thinking in the silence, just in his own presence.

Maybe he **was** just over-thinking the while situation. But then again, it was strange to think he had seen Harry three days on the run now. Saturday: when Harry first met him, and gave him a lift home. Sunday: in the shoe shop, where he somehow knew Louis' name. And now today, Monday: where Harry had decided to turn up at Louis' usual Monday hotspot for he and his friends.

It was all a bit obscure to think about, and Louis tried to tell himself that he was over-thinking it. He wanted to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you guys think the story's going? Should I continue it?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking forever to update. Wasn't happy and had to keep rewriting it.

Louis had a spine chilling nightmare in which he woke up in the middle of the night to hear tapping on his bedroom window. He yanked back the curtain to find that nobody was there, but continously heard his name being whispered in that terrifyingly deep voice, eerily sinister, that he could only detect as belonging to Harry. When he turned back around to face his bedroom again, in the obscure dream, Harry's silhouette was visible near his bedroom door, however he was soon ripped from the nightmare due to his alarm clock screeching on his bedside table. He was pretty grateful for that because he honestly would have wet the bed if he were to view the continuance of that nightmare.

That horrifying dream in itself was a blatant confirmation that Louis' mind was playing tricks on him; manipulating him into thinking he was in danger. When in actual fact, Harry probably just had a stupid, little crush. A little crush that would subside and die down within the next few weeks; maybe even days. 

Louis swiftly got ready for school, after having hit snooze on his alarm, before hurrying out the door and jumping into his car. He started its engine and began the drive to pick up Niall and Liam, driving considerably fast so as not to be late. Liam's house was closest, and he was stood by the side of the road waiting for Louis when he arrived, phone in hand and bag slung over shoulder.

"Alright?" Liam beamed at him, after climbing into the car, slamming the door shut and plugging in his seatbelt.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Louis weakly smiled, accelerating into the road and running a hand through his hair. He could feel Liam analysing him from the corner of his eye.

"You look really tired," Liam commented, tilting his head to the side. "Did little Louis not get enough beauty sleep?" He cooed, face cracking into a smug grin.

"I don't need more beauty sleep, I mean _look_ at me." Louis smirked. He was blatantly joking; he certainly wasn't the vain sort of person. In fact, he found himself very average looking overall. He didn't think there was anything particularly special about himself.

_Harry must've found him pretty hot._

Okay, here came the Harry conspiracies again. They needed to be stopped, but there seemed to be no filter, nothing to rule them out. Everything Louis thought of linked to what Harry's opinion would be, what Harry's take on it was. It was a subconscious thing, of course. He was just on edge, that's all.

When they stopped at a red light, just around the corner from Niall's house, he had a **reason** to be on edge. He had glanced at the large car on his car's right, which was also waiting for the traffic light to turn green, and he almost had a heart attack.

A black BMW X5. Recognisable, but not in a positive way.

Then he saw him: the smirking face of Harry peering at him from inside the vehicle. It was practically inevitable but still chilled Louis to the very bone. He audibly released a terrified whimper, causing Liam to whip his head up from his phone to face him.

"What? What's wrong?" Liam laughed, clearly making a joke out of it. It was far from amusing.

The light turned green, and Harry's car sped away without another glance. He got away so quickly that Louis couldn't help but contemplate whether he had imagined Harry's presence.

"Harry," Louis whispered, weakly, "Harry was in that car." He nudged his head in the direction Harry's car had gone in, which was still visible in the distance. Then he heard a car horn blare from behind them, snapping him back into reality.

"Shit, Lou, go!" Liam urged, reminding his friend that the light had turned green and his car hadn't moved. Louis stepped on the gas, speeding away, but he still certainly wasn't at ease.

"Are you sure you weren't just imagining it? It'd be weird for him to randomly be at the traffic lights with us. Or maybe a coincidence?" Liam theorised, trying to relieve his best mate. Louis heavily sighed as they pulled up to Niall's house. 

"It wasn't a coincidence. Liam, nobody else I've ever met has crossed paths with me as many times as Harry has, in such a short space of time. Something's going on, I'm telling you!"

Liam was about to speak, but then the front door of Niall's house slammed shut from outside the car and he walked down the path, towards the vehicle, still looking utterly drained. Something had shocked him, that was still blatant.

"Now shut up, Niall's not in the mood for this." Liam snarled, causing Louis' eyebrows to raise.

"Wow, sorry!" He exclaimed moodily, taken aback by Liam's sudden snap. Niall opened the rear door of the car, getting in and shutting it behind him. He didn't even say a word.

So Louis and Liam stayed silent too, for the entire journey to school.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Louis reiterated from yesterday, nudging Niall as they sat in Physics class.

"Mhmm," Niall hummed, not looking up, continuing to carve into the table with the tip of his pen. Not very convincing.

"You know you can talk to me, don't you? If anything's wrong, I need to know, Niall."

"Alright. Thank you, Lou." Niall flatly said.

Louis sighed, making eye contact with Liam across the room and raising his eyebrows at him as though to say "he's still not opening up".

Their half-deaf teacher, Mr Pembroke, seemed extra ratty today. He was giving them extended modules of work and was telling people off for no particular reason, so that probably wasn't lifting the mood either.

Louis' phone buzzed in his pocket, vibrating against the seat, but received no acknowledgement from their ancient teacher. Niall looked, though, glaring down at the source of the noise. Louis pulled out his phone under the table and unlocked it to find a new text. The contents of the text felt like a stab to the stomach; like his worse fears had been confirmed; like his world was crumbling down around him.

To Louis - From Unknown Number: You looked so hot this morning Louis. A bit tired though... is that what stalled you when the light turned green? ;) 

"Oh God," Louis breathed in terror. "Oh my God." 

"What?" Niall whispered, trying to crane his neck over to take a look. "What is it?" 

"No, don't worry." Louis sighed, not wanting to involve his friends any longer. "Honestly, it's okay." 

"If that text is from Harry, I don't think it's okay." Niall's statement shocked Louis. His voice wavered slightly at the name. Louis didn't think Niall even knew Harry's name, let alone possess the ability to guess that he was the sender of the text message. Louis was too uneasy to question it for now. 

"How did he get my number? I-I don't understand!" Louis stuttered, rereading the text as though he had somehow misread it. Clearly not. 

"Well, he seems capable of-" Niall cut off before he finished his sentence. Louis arched an eyebrow at him, suspicious of why he had suddenly stopped speaking. What did he mean? Harry seemed capable of what? 

"Niall... what were you going to say? You've been acting really weirdly lately." Louis noted, glancing across the room to find that Liam was watching them both with an intrigued gesture. He obviously didn't understand the seriousness of the situation like Louis and Niall did. 

"I was just blabbering on, don't worry. I don't even know what I was planning on saying," Niall let out a fake laugh. So, so clearly fake. Forged. 

"How did you know Harry's name, anyway? I'm pretty sure all I told you was that a nameless guy was involved." Louis needed to let this question slip, because its relevance was significant at this point in time. He couldn't postpone it because Niall would claim it didn't matter anymore. 

Now Niall looked nervous. His eyes darted around the room, as though looking for an excuse, and they landed on Liam. "Liam told me, duh!" Another awkward laugh. 

Louis made sure to look unconvinced, but his words contradicted the gesture. "Okay, I thought so." 

Louis locked his phone and decided to deal with it later. For now, he had to engage in his physics lesson again. 

* * *

"Should I reply?" Louis asked Liam, as they sat in the latter's bedroom. They hadn't invited Niall because of how strangely he was acting, figuring he could probably do with some time alone at home. Louis had immediately shown Liam the text message as the worry clouded his mind once again. Liam seemed like the only person willing to help anymore. 

"It's a tricky one," Liam commented. "If you reply, you can ask how he got your number and then tell him to leave you alone. But then again, I'm not sure whether it's best just to ignore it?" 

"I reckon I should reply." Louis stated, going against the final part of Liam's response. 

"It's up to you, mate, at the end of the day. What're you gonna put?" 

"I think I know." Louis got the text message up and took a deep breath, before beginning to type his determined reply. 

To Unknown Number - From Louis: What the hell have you said to my friend Niall? 


	5. Chapter 5

An hour - an entire 60-minute period of time - was the time it took for Louis to get a reply from Harry. It was like he had spent that long just thinking up something to respond with, which seemed pretty believable. Harry probably didn't want to scare Louis off, although he had already accomplished that miles back. He changed the contact name to a blunt 'H', to save confusion.

To Louis - From H: Sorry, I don't know who Niall is .xx

And that was all the reply consisted of. Did it really take that long just to type that message? 26 letters wasn't particularly difficult. The message in itself was frustrating, too. Of course he knew who Niall was!

To H - From Louis: Don't even start that bullshit. I barely even know you, why are you butting in on my life?

Harry was typing. It gave Louis a weird shiver to think that this obscure boy was the other side of this conversation. He wasn't physically there, talking to Louis, because Louis wanted to create a boundary. He didn't want to talk to Harry in person again.

To Louis - From H: I'm not butting in on your life, Louis .xx

Harry seemed to only reply with statements, no questions. He didn't ask who Niall was in the previous text, now he didn't ask how he was butting in on Louis' life. It sort of made him seem like even more of a liar.

To H - From Louis: Well, I have many things you've done that could be considered as butting in on my life.

He just knew Harry was going to ask him to list them all. He just seemed like that sort of cocky person.

To Louis - From H: Tell me them all .xx

Louis groaned aloud in annoyance. He wasn't going to waste his time listing off the countless weird things Harry had done, so he just listed one.

To H - From Louis: You got my phone number. How and why did you get my phone number?

Harry didn't reply. He didn't fucking reply.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Liam giggled. "Louis, slow down!"

"I just want to test something." Louis' voice was full of determination as he continued to lead Liam through the crammed city centre.

"This better not take long, I have loads of homework to be doing." Liam rolled his eyes. He had no choice but to go on this little adventure with Louis because he had gotten a lift home from him and they had gone to the city centre against Liam's will.

Louis stopped at a random bench in the outside area of the city centre. A few pigeons pecked around for scraps of bread on the concrete around the bench, and the streets were littered with tons of people going about their shopping. Liam still didn't know why or for how long they'd be there, so he just kept his mouth shut until Louis explained.

"Keep a lookout for Harry," Louis instructed, "I want to see if he knows I'm here."

Liam was eyeing Louis as if he were a madman. "Louis, isn't this getting a bit weird now? I've never seen Harry in my life. The only description you've given is that he's 'pretty hot'."

Louis punched his mate on the knee. "Forget that. He's changed my mind."

"D'you think you've gone a bit mad?" Liam lightly laughed, "You're not gonna randomly run into-"

"Harry! He's over there!" Louis exclaimed in whisper, cutting Liam off. He discreetly pointed into the distance, where Harry was in fact stood with a friend. "I fucking told you!"

"Which one is he? The one with the black quiff or the tall one?" Liam questioned, while keeping his eyes on the two boys. Harry was dressed in skintight black jeans, black converse and a tight white t-shirt that showed off his slim body. The boy with him, not as tall in height, had a slightly darker skin tone. His hair, as Liam had described, was gelled into a black quiff, and he was dressed in more baggy jeans to Harry's, and a red t-shirt.

"The tall one," Louis breathed, too keeping his eyes on Harry.

"So that's him!" Liam replied, enthusiastically. "I always struggled to construct an image just from 'pretty hot'." He smirked, as though he knew Louis was embarrassed for having described Harry in that way in the past.

"Has he seen me?" Louis questioned, quietly. He and Liam were sat quite a distance from Harry and the other boy, however it was hard to tell whether Harry had or hadn't acknowledged his presence.

"He has now, he has now!" Liam chanted in whisper, quickly nudging Louis' leg. "He's looking right at you, mate."

And it was true. Harry's gaze pierced into Louis, even from such a distance, causing Louis' blood to turn cold. He really should have made a quick escape before Harry had spotted him but now it was too late. Louis held the eye contact, trying to be as tough as he could.

"Louis, just look away," Liam frantically advised, "You're just persuading him!" He was tugging at Louis' sleeve, but it made no difference.

"No, otherwise I'll look weak," Louis snapped. "He'll think I'm just going to take it."

"Or, he'll think you like the attention. Seriously, Louis, I swear to God, look away." Liam demanded bitterly. As Louis continued to watch Harry, he noticed a smirk forming on the tall boy's face in the distance. Then, he gestured with a nudge of the head for his best friend to follow, as he made his way towards Louis.

"Oh shit," Louis muttered, "What should I do?!" He panicked to Liam. "Quick!"

"I told you not to keep looking! If you want to look so tough, stand up to him now." Liam ushered. Harry was stood a metre or so away, head tilted slightly to the side and gesture as smug as ever.

"Good afternoon, Louis." He greeted, lowly. His eyes then fell from Louis to Liam, who actually looked a bit intimidated by Harry's height. "Name?" He rudely shot at Liam.

"A please would be nice." Liam grunted, standing his ground very awkwardly. Harry ran his tongue along his back teeth, letting out a sharp laugh.

"I asked you a question." Harry stated.

"Leave him out of it." Louis piped up. His heart was hammering in his chest, fists bawled and eyes narrowed. Harry again looked to Louis, scowl turning to that smirk again. Harry's friend was watching in sheer amusement.

"What was that, Louis?" There was a look of amusement on Harry's face too.

"I said to leave him out of it. You're going to leave me alone, and you're going to leave my friends alone. Especially Niall."

Harry laughed this time, a full on laugh that his friend joined in with. The fact that his friend joined in, despite not even knowing the concept of the joke, told Louis that Harry was quite controlling.

"I already told you: I don't know who Niall is."

A flash of anger came over Louis. In an instant, he stormed forwards and jabbed a finger into Harry's chest. Harry smirked when looking at where Louis' hand was in contact with him.

"You listen to me," Louis commanded, "You're going to get out of my life. You're not going to text me, or call me, or follow me, or anything like that. Do you fucking understand me?"

Harry wasn't one bit scared or patronised. He was staring directly into Louis' eyes, causing the smaller boy to feel a dense shiver. Harry then let his eyes glance down at Louis' hand again, which still had a finger pointed into his chest.

"I didn't know we were on touching terms now," He purred, biting his bottom lip and causing Louis' stomach to flip. "Better make the most of that." Without warning, both his hands slipped around to Louis' arse and squeezed, causing Louis to jump and squeak in surprise.

Louis' initial reaction was to slap Harry as hard as possible around the face, which Harry responded to with an arrogant laugh. Liam pulled Louis away, Harry's friend pulled Harry away.

"Come on, let's just go." Liam whispered to Louis. "Forget it, okay?"

Louis' eyes were piercing into Harry, proud when he saw a crimson mark developing on the cocky boy's cheek. He deserved it.

Liam led Louis away quickly, all while Louis continuously glanced back at a smug Harry. Why was Harry still interested in Louis?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it was shit and/or rushed. I just needed to post something because it's been too long and I've been inactive.
> 
> *unedited*


	6. Chapter 6

"You're being really quiet now," Liam commented into the silence of Louis' car. "To be honest, I didn't think this would bother you that much."

Louis' grip tightened on the steering wheel, mouth quirking to the side. "I wasn't bothered, until he decided to touch me."

"But that was just a joke, wasn't it?" Liam softly smiled. Louis' face broke out into a gesture of bewilderment.

"A fucking joke?" He ridiculed. "You still think this is a joke? You and I both know that Harry intimidated you."

Liam had always been the sort of guy to act as though nothing and no one scared him. It took a lot to inject him with fear, and Louis saw that Harry had taken success in doing just this. Louis just knew Liam wouldn't admit it, though.

"I wasn't intimidated, just scared for you."

"Oh, get over yourself." Louis scoffed. "He terrified you."

He hated how he and Liam were arguing again. That had been happening very often lately, and it seemed to all be because of the situation with Harry.

Liam didn't reply to Louis, meaning the latter knew he had won. But he didn't want to just end his victory there. He wanted to know more; what could cause someone like Liam to be afraid?

"What was it about him, then?" Louis smugly quizzed. "That scared you?"

He glanced over at Liam to see his face was contorted in annoyance as he stared out of the car window. His eyes were cold and he didn't look in the mood to answer anything Louis had to interrogate him about. Louis pushed on anyway, ignoring all the warning signs (which was a tendency of his).

"His height? The way he spoke to you?"

"Louis, leave it." Liam growled. Louis kept on.

"Or could you just sense something about h-"

"I SAID LEAVE IT!" Liam roared, causing Louis to jump with a hitch of his breath. He immediately regretted saying anything. The car remained eerily quiet after that, until they pulled up to Liam's house.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Liam rushed blankly, before hurrying out of the car without a single glance.

"Adios." Louis lifelessly called after him, before waiting for the door to slam closed. He shifted gears and drove away.

* * *

Louis should have been expecting a text from Harry, really, but it still took him by an element of surprise when it popped up on his phone.

To Louis - From H: I'm sorry if you found the way I acted earlier a bit too forward. I guess I just took all of this a bit too far too soon .xx

The first emotion Louis got was surprise, because Harry had apologised for his behaviour. The second was actually irritation at the way Harry was speaking, as though they were at the start of a romantic relationship together. 'I guess I just took all of this a bit too far too soon' sounded a lot like an interpreted relationship, but perhaps it was Harry trying to agitate him again. Louis hoped so.

To H - From Louis: Okay, I'm blocking this number now. Goodbye, Harry, have a good life.

He got an instant reply, within literal seconds.

To Louis - From H: No! Please don't go, seriously .xx

Louis now knew that he was beginning to gain power over the situation. He had the authority here to just block Harry's phone number, even though he couldn't exactly block Harry from his life in public...

To H - From Louis: I'm sorry, I don't want you in my life. You've so far come across as being a bit of a... danger? I don't know.

To Louis - From H: I'm not a danger, I promise! I just really, really like you .xx

Louis was unaware of whether or not Harry was capable of doing anything awful. He didn't know a lot about this boy so far, aside from the fact that he was a half-mad stalker.

To H - From Louis: Leave me alone from now on. Goodbye Harry.

To Louis - From H: If only it were that easy .xx

Louis ignored the chill that ran down his spine and blocked Harry's number. He deleted the conversation, leaving no trace of Harry anywhere on his phone. Well, the only trace of Harry left in his life now was the petrifying effect he had on his mind.

* * *

"Guys, I promise there will be no sign of Harry anymore. I deleted his number and told him to leave me alone." Louis casually declared, on the ride to school the next day. He noticed how neither Liam or Niall reacted very well. Liam gave a subtle shrug, while Niall just blankly stared at Louis in the rearview mirror. "Fine, ignore me."

"We're not ignoring you," Niall spoke for them both, "It's just... are you sure he'll just leave you alone now? He really doesn't seem like he'll just relent and move on?"

"You're speaking as though he's addicted to me or something." Louis chuckled, taking it as a joke. Niall and Liam exchanged worried glances.

"His behaviour has been rather obsessive. Just an observation." Liam piped up, playing with a string of thread on his jumper to avoid meeting eyes with Louis.

"You're saying he **is** obsessed?" Louis slowly questioned.

"Listen, whatever. I can't speak for Harry, can I? All I'm trying to say is he seems to be pretty keen on you."

Louis' car had pulled into the car park of the school now but none of the boys made a move to get out. They just analysed the silence, racking their brains to find something suitable to fill it. Niall spoke up first, then instantly regretted not initially thinking it through.

"Trust me, from what he said to me, he's not going to leave you alone anytime soon." And it was a stupid reply; a reply that revealed a lot. Both Louis and Liam twisted in their seats to look back at Niall, who was sat in the back seat with wide eyes.

"So he did speak to you? Oh my God, I can't believe this." Louis breathed out, in stress. He ran his hands down his face. "My own friend kept it from me. Niall, I asked you and asked you! Why didn't you just tell me?"

"He told me not to! I was stuck for what to do so I bottled it up! I'm really sorry, Lou, seriously."

"What did he say? I want to know right now."

"That's not necessary now. We're gonna be late for class."

"I don't give a Damn. Tell me, Niall."

Liam too wanted to know, watching Niall for a response. The blonde boy took a deep breath before giving it.

"Yeah, he spoke to me when you two ran off to the bathroom in that smoothie place." He began, with a sigh. "Came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. Scared the absolute shit out of me, I thought it was one of you two but I turned around and he was just stood there with this smug smile."

Louis knew that smug smile all too well. It was burned into his memory and always would be.

"W-What did he say?" Liam didn't even mean to stutter, but the tense topic caused it.

"Asked my name-"

"He did that to me yesterday." Liam cut in, earning a scolding look from Niall for cutting him off. "Sorry, carry on."

"I said my name's Niall. He sat down next to me and I wanted to get up to go and find you two but I was too scared to move. I had no idea he even knew you, Lou."

"C'mon, what else did he say?" Louis rushed.

"He asked how I knew you all of a sudden. I was confused why he brought you up but I said I'm your best friend, and then..." He cut himself up with a sudden laugh, causing Louis and Liam to furrow their eyebrows in confusion. "Sorry, it's a bit awkward. He, like, asked me whether I've ever slept with you, Lou."

"Oh," Was Louis' response, as he went slightly red. How else was he meant to reply to that?

"Yeah, umm... I said that I haven't, that we're just friends, and that I'm straight. His smile was gone now and he just had this blank expression. Something about it was... a bit frightening."

"Did he say anything else?"

"He threatened me." Niall immediately and shakily replied, causing Louis' heart rate to plummet. Oh God.

"Seriously?"

"D'you wanna know what he said to me? D'you wanna know why I think he's becoming addicted to you?" Niall lifelessly asked. Louis dryly swallowed. He didn't really want to know but he knew that he had to. He needed to act on whatever the hell was going on.

"Yes."

"He said: don't you dare get involved with **my** Louis, or you'll regret it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scary h


	7. Chapter 7

It was difficult for Louis to decide what to do next. He **could** just forget about Harry and avoid him as much as possible, yet he was intrigued to find out more about the mixed up boy. He was intrigued, however he didn't want to ask Harry himself about anything going on in his life. He seemed to be in a reasonable position in life, Louis knew he had at least one friend, who had been by Harry's side the last time Louis had seen him in person.

There was always social media as an option to investigate Harry's life - Facebook was always the best bet - but Louis didn't even know his surname. He was unaware of Harry's surname and general mindset.

Willing to uncover more about Harry, Louis decided to text Niall, in case he had any clue. It was pretty doubtful but there was a dim glimpse of hope.

To Niall - From Louis: Do you know Harry's surname by any chance?

To Louis - From Niall: You said you weren't bothered about him anymore.

To Niall - From Louis: Please? I just need to know more about him as a person. There's gotta be something going on in his life if he thinks it's okay to follow another human being around... y'know?

To Louis - From Niall: It's your funeral. Well he had 'Styles' printed on the back of his jacket when I saw him but I have no idea whether that's it?

Harry Styles sounded as though it could be a person's name. A pretty cool name, actually.

 **Louis Styles** \- one of the first thoughts that struck Louis' mind. He had to pinch himself to end it.

To Niall - From Louis: cheers mate

Louis reached over the side of his bed, where his laptop was carelessly buried beneath a mountain of clothes, pulling it up and opening its lid. When he had started his laptop and loaded Facebook, he clicked on the search bar and hovered his fingers over the keyboard for moment or two. Did he really want to invade Harry's life? It would just deepen the situation.

Of course he did.

He searched 'Harry Styles' and nervously bit using lower lip when the required account was the first option that popped up. There it was: Harry's account. Harry Styles' account.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=2mxo7r4)

Louis held his breath as he clicked on it, watching Harry's life unfold before his eyes. The profile picture of the account was of Harry himself, wearing a navy blue beanie and army green jacket as he drank from two straws, holding a drink in either hand.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=wb8bxk)

Louis, although he hated himself for it, had to again admit that Harry ticked off all the checkpoints of the success criteria to being good looking (this was Louis' complex way of saying Harry was hot). He had nice, big eyes and a cute face, but an arrogant and somewhat terrifying persona that didn't match.

The cover photo was just as adorable as the profile picture but Louis tried to avoid reminiscing over that. He instead scrolled to the latest status of Harry's, which was only 53 minutes old, and he felt a shiver run down his spine as his eyes skimmed over it. 

It read: "I don't give up on people that easily. I guess you could say I get a bit too clingy, but that's just me."

Harry had openly admitted that he was clingy, which was the understandment of the century. He wasn't just clingy, he was **obsessive**.

The status had 86 likes in total; a lot. Harry was a pretty popular guy, by the looks of things. Louis then proceeded to read the comments. The first was by the boy who had accompanied Harry the last time Louis had seen him in person - the boy with the black quiff. His Facebook name was 'Zayn "Zain" Malik'. It actually suited him.

His comment read: "I got ur back bro ;)" which Louis didn't understand, so he instead read the second comment. It was by a male called 'Ed Sheeran', whose profile picture displayed a ginger guy with a stern face (intimidating, just like Harry).

His comment read: "is this about that Louis guy again??" There it was: proof that Harry had told others about his "Louis addiction." Weird. Maybe Zayn and Ed were his closest mates.

Harry's reply to Ed's comment was: "Don't worry about it, mate." This told Louis that Harry didn't want to declare online that he was obsessing over a random guy, although his status itself already accomplished that.

Louis was going to close Harry's Facebook profile, he really was, but a photo someone had tagged Harry in caught his eye and he couldn't stop himself from clicking on it.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=k3x00y)

It was a black and white photo, in which Harry was only dressed in some tight, black underwear. He was leaning slightly to the side as he brightly laughed. It looked as though someone had taken it quickly and without Harry's consent, although it still looked admittedly gorgeous, without intending to.

Louis slowly raked his eyes down Harry's toned stomach in the photo, taking in the sight as he felt his skin becoming hot all over. He hated how he was reacting to it but he couldn't help the attraction. He hated how every fibre of his being shook with arousal at the thought of that beautiful body being beneath Harry's clothing.

"Lou, mum wanted me to ask..." Felicite trailed off after having barged into Louis' room, and he had suspiciously slammed shut the lid of his laptop and was staring at her with wide, surprised eyes. Felicite gave him a 'I won't ask what you were looking at' glance.

Louis decided to shake off the embarrassment and hear what she had to say.

"Anyway," Felicite laughed, "Mum wanted me to ask if you'd take me, Daisy and Phoebe to Tesco. There's a new film that's out but we checked it's not being sold at the corner shop."

"I should have guessed it'd involve me driving you somewhere," Louis thought aloud, rolling his eyes. "Alright, I'll take you guys. Just give me, like, a few minutes, and I'll be downstairs to take you."

Felicite's eyes flicked from the closed laptop to her brother's face, before her face exploded into a knowing look. She quickly left, leaving Louis alone again to open his laptop, type in his password and close Harry's Facebook profile.

This was really not good for his health.

* * *

"Guys, don't run in front of any cars." Louis stressfully commanded to the twins, taking Phoebe's hand as Felicite took Daisy's. It was always difficult crossing the car park to get into Tesco because they always tended to play a subconscious game of 'Let's see who can get Louis the most worried by almost getting flattened by numerous vehicles!'

When they were almost at the entrance, Louis' heart almost stopped when he saw what was, unmistakeably, Harry's car parked in one of the spaces. The registration was identical to Harry's, and it made Louis wonder whether he was actually dreaming this or not. Surely it wasn't Harry's again.

"Guys, we're going to be quick, yeah?" He panicked, glancing at his three sisters as they all entered the shop, greeted by the rush of warm air from the air conditioner.

"Okay, but I'll probably get distracted by the new Kerrang magazine." Felicite dazed. They headed for the CD, DVD and magazine section, all while Louis was warily looking around with a sense of paranoia. He was hoping to keep his head low and get out of there speedily but his sisters were already getting distracted by irrelevant magazines and CDs.

"He's so hot!" Felicite drooled over a leading singer from a rock band, while Louis tried to stay calm and collected, patiently rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Fizzy, get the DVD, then." He hurried her. "Daisy! Get back over here!" He shouted her, after she had started running off down the aisle. She obediently trailed back over.

"Where is it?" Felicite mused, running her finger over several spines of film cases. It was like she was doing everything in slow motion, but that was probably just because Louis was being inpatient and apprehensive that Harry would show up, like he had the tendency to.

"Here it is!" Felicite cheered, scooping up the movie in question and waving it around in front of the twins, who joined in with the celebration.

"Woo-hoo, fantastic, let's go." Louis sarcastically celebrated, spinning on his feet and leading his sister's towards the tills. They stopped at one of the them, and Phoebe's eyes wandered to the till two away from theirs.

"It's the boy from the shoe shop!" She cheerily chirped, obviously thinking he was a friend of Louis'. "Remember, Lou? The boy who talked to you?"

Louis was too busy holding extreme eye contact with Harry Styles to reply. The curly-haired boy - who Louis couldn't stop imagining in just underwear now - was smirking at him from a few feet away.

"Let's pay, come on." Louis distracted himself, trying not to sweat or look too worried to his sisters.

"Are you alright?" Felicite questioned, detecting the change in demeanour. "Who's that guy?"

"No one, Fizzy. Now give the lady the money," He urged, referring to the woman working on the till, who had scanned the DVD. Louis glanced over at Harry once again, whose eyes were slowly trailing down the smaller boy's body. He really had some nerve, openly checking Louis out.

"Why do you look like you want to punch that guy?" Felicite giggled.

"Don't worry." Louis said through gritted teeth.

"Well, he's coming over here."

They were the words Louis dreaded, but he turned to see that Harry was now stood right by his side. That sickly smirk was plastered on his face, once again.

"Do you have Facebook?"

"What?" Louis snapped. For a moment he thought he had imagined Harry's words, paranoid that Harry somehow knew Louis had visited his profile.

"What's your surname?"

"Tomlinson!" Phoebe happily exclaimed. "He's Louis Tomlinson, I'm Phoebe Tomlinson, she's Daisy Toml-"

"Phoebe, shut up!" Louis snarled, causing his younger sister to jump slightly, looking upset that her brother had shouted at her. She was unaware of what she'd done wrong.

"Louis Tomlinson, okay," Harry nodded to himself, "I better get used to that name, hadn't I?"

"Just go." Louis grumbled.

"We're in a public place, you can't force me to go."

"He said go." Felicite spoke up, angrily. Harry had a blank face as he glanced at her, giving a small nod before listening. He shrugged to himself, giving Louis a last look before strolling out of the shop.

"We need to talk about him, don't we?" Felicite gritted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeah, I made Harry a little profile because I was bored ;)
> 
> Question: are the pictures useful? Do you like the use of photos?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a great Christmas. Enjoy ♥
> 
> *Unedited*

The car ride home began in a dense silence as Louis gripped harshly on the wheel, brow furrowed in concentration. He wanted to tell Phoebe off about telling Harry their surname, however she was too young to know any better. She'd probably go crying to their parents if he yelled at her.

"Louis?" Felicite spoke into the quiet. He rolled his eyes, but she couldn't see because the car was only lit by a streak of light whenever it passed a lamppost. Other than that, the only light was emitted by the buttons on the dashboard.

"Yeah?" He blandly replied.

"Who was that guy, then?"

Louis was tempted not to reply, wanting to leave her question lingering in the air, but he knew he wouldn't get out of answering it now. She wouldn't rest until she got an answer.

"Just... a friend." What a stupid, stupid reply. Of course he wasn't a friend! What kind of friend would someone try and make an escape from?

"No he wasn't." She spat. "Why would he ask your surname if he was? Friends kind of usually know that."

"That's the second time I've seen him," Daisy boasted, as though it was something to be proud of. "Remember, Lou? He was in the shoe shop."

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Louis sighed. He could feel Felicite's eyes burning into his face with worry. She now knew that this wasn't the only time Harry had approached Louis in public.

"Louis, seriously. Who the hell is he?" She reiterated, getting frustrated.

"He's called Harry. I don't see why you need to know any more than that." Louis scoffed. They had pulled onto their street and were approaching their driveway now. Louis parked the car on it, stopping the vehicle so the car's interior lights turned on. Louis could now properly see the concern on his younger sister's face.

"He wouldn't leave when you told him to. That's harassment, you know?"

"You're just going to worry the girls. We'll talk about this another time." Louis whispered, referring to Daisy and Phoebe, glancing back to see their eyes slightly wide at the topic.

"No, we're going to talk about this now, when we get inside." Felicite argued. She really seemed worried for her brother.

"Fine." Louis gave in, with a sharp exhale. "All of this because you wanted that bloody DVD."

They all got out and Louis locked his car. The twins raced inside, brandishing the new DVD to Jay when she walked into the hallway.

"Mum, can you just get Lottie to set that up on the TV? I'll be down in a minute, I just need a quick chat with Louis upstairs." Felicite explained. Jay gave a dazed nod before following the twins into the living room. Louis trudged up the stairs, irritated to hear Felicite's inevitable footsteps behind him. He felt like a horse being followed by an annoying insect; not such a lovely comparison.

He barged into his room, sitting on his bed and stressfully running his hands down his face. Felicite came in, shutting the door behind her and sitting on his swivel chair.

"C'mon, spill the beans." Felicite urged.

Louis hesitantly began, "You know when I had to get a lift home from the sports centre on the day I took you, because I lost my keys?"

"Oh yeah, and Mum and Dad got pissy at you." Felicite pointed out.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me of that," Louis grumbled, "Anyway, Harry was the one who gave me that lift home."

Felicite gave an intrigued nod, face twisting in thought. "Okay, but why did you get in his car in the first place?"

That was a great question - one Louis had been asking himself ever since.

"Because... well, he seemed all friendly when he offered it... and it was raining..." Louis shrugged.

"Oh." Felicite piped.

"And, umm, he turned out to be a bit of a dick because he, like, pretended he was kidnapping me." Louis couldn't believe how stupid this sounded to say. It wasn't an average story.

"Wait, what? So he just... how does someone pretend to kidnap you?" She pondered.

"He missed the turning and then acted like I'd never see my fucking family again," Louis snarled, "And I started yelling at him but he just pulled up to where I wanted to go and... yeah, he was joking, apparently."

"That's so weird," Felicite breathed, face scrunched up, "Really weird."

"And now he's following me around. Oh! And he somehow got my phone number."

"Now your surname," Felicite reminded, "Jesus Christ, Louis, you're in some deep shit."

"Wow, thanks!" Louis exclaimed sarcastically. "Just what I wanted to hear!"

"Go on your Facebook. See if he's done anything."

That was a good idea. Louis grabbed his laptop, which he had left on his bed, opening it and logging onto to his Facebook again. Scarily, he had more than twenty notifications from Harry Styles. Many were likes, but he had also left five comments in total on Louis' photos.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." He muttered to himself. Felicite jumped up, perching by him on the bed so she could peer at the screen too.

"Wow, what's he put?"

Louis clicked onto a photo he had posted on Facebook nine months ago, back in January. It was of himself in a blue shirt and suspenders, captioned "Great day today with the family !"

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=2vhvk9y)

It had the comments it had had before, from his Mum, Liam and Niall, except there was a brand new comment from ten minutes or so ago. From Harry.

It said: "Holy shit, you really are stunning .xx" and caused a dense shiver to run through Louis.

"He thinks you're stunning," Felicite softly smiled, "That's sweet... but not the other things he's done."

Louis ignored both the comment from Harry and his sister's statement, clicking onto another photo from just eleven days ago that Harry had commented on - a photo of Louis, Niall and Liam.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=35hfct2)

He put: "Wow, Louis .xx"

"He sure likes you." Felicite mused.

"I've kinda worked that out." Louis sighed. He went onto the third photo, one he had posted in March of he, Liam and Niall when they had all gotten VIP passes to a Bayern Munich football match. The comment Harry left caused his eyes to widen and face to redden, and he sort of wished Felicite hadn't seen it but it was too late.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=2wgxgl0)

"Thinking about what that tongue could do ;) .xx"

"Oh my," Felicite chuckled, "Umm... wow."

"For fuck's sake, that's so embarrassing." He whined, quickly closing it. Felicite was still giggling to herself, so Louis had to punch her on the knee to shut her up.

The last photo Harry had commented on was the worst. It was a selfie of Louis' that he had taken back in June, which at the time got a few comments in itself.

The first girl who commented was a girl named Eleanor Calder: a nightmare on legs. She had constantly been crushing on Louis from day one, making it blatantly clear, even know she knew he swung more towards boys. Her comment was "You're hot ;) <3", which Louis had responded to at the time with "Thanks but no thanks."

There were a couple other comments after that, then Harry's that had been posted four months later; tonight.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=29c2jux)

It said: "He's mine."

That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that two people had liked Harry's comment, and Eleanor had also replied a few minutes ago with "Excuse me?"

Harry proceeded to say "Louis is mine. Back off." which had four likes on it.

Eleanor replied with "is this a joke??" but Harry didn't put anything else. That was it, and it left Louis shocked and embarrassed.

This was taking over his life.

"He thinks he owns you," Felicite gasped, "Louis, he can't do that!"

"I fucking know that!"

"Aren't you going to block his account or something? Delete the comments?" She frantically suggested.

"I will do. Now go and watch that film, the others are waiting for you."

"Fine," Felicite agreed, "Thanks for sharing everything, Lou. I won't tell anyone, okay?"

"Thanks, Fizzy, but I'm sure they'll find out themselves somehow." Louis rolled his eyes. "Bye."

She left his bedroom, leaving him with his thoughts. He didn't delete the comments, he left them. He then clicking onto Harry's profile, curiously, to see a new status of Harry's, which had been posted a couple of minutes ago.

It said: "No one will ever care about me."

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=nvsl0i)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *unedited* because it's nearly 2AM and I'm practically dead.

What did that even mean? "No one will ever care about me." Louis had two initial thoughts.  
1) Was it about him.  
2) Was it a serious thing? Did Harry really mean that nobody cared about him, or was that just a way of seeking attention?  
The only way Louis would ever find out was if he asked Harry, but he wasn't going to do that.

The comments Harry left angered Louis, but then Harry's new status mildly extinguished that anger. Maybe he didn't have anyone that cared about him. That was his own problem, though, and Louis wasn't going to interfere.

Friday morning rolled around at school, and Louis was ultimately reluctant to attend. He just knew everyone would question him about Harry Styles, seeing as many people had most likely seen those comments.

Louis partook in his usual routine of getting ready, driving to Liam's, then Niall's, then to school. Their first lesson was English, in which Eleanor was, to Louis' annoyance.

He knew that she'd both flirt with him and mention the Facebook incident, both in one conversation. As soon as he and his friends entered that classroom, Eleanor's eyes were on him. The annoying fond face she always made sparked onto her features. Stupidly, their teacher sat her on the table right in front of Louis in the seating plan, for maximum flirting on her behalf.

"Good morning. Looking a bit tired, Mr Tomlinson." She smirked, as he took a seat behind her. His face was blank, not even making eye contact. "Oh, I was gonna ask you-"

"About the comments on Facebook?" Louis cut her off, now making the effort to glance at the girl, whose eyelashes were clumped together with way too much mascara.

"Yeah, actually," She over-enthusiastically giggled, "You saw them, then?"

It was only now clear to Louis that a boy called Josh, who sat a few seats away from Louis, was listening in. He tried to ignore it.

"I did, yeah."

"Who is he?" She interrogated.

"Who's who?" Josh very nosily asked, stepping straight into the conversation without an invitation. He had always been a loud boy in class, wanting to know every single piece of gossip on offer.

"Harry Styles, was it?" Eleanor answered, turning to Louis for confirmation.

"It's no one else's business." Louis muttered, picking at his nail. Eleanor and Josh completely ignored the hint to stop.

"Harry Styles? He used to be my neighbour," Josh lightly informed, "Quite an unreadable sort of guy."

Louis' ears perked up at this statement, suddenly quite glad he had unwittingly joined their conversation now.

"Unreadable? In what way?" Louis asked, trying not to sound too interested. Josh glanced at Louis for a moment before giving a little shrug.

"Well this was a couple of years ago, when I was fifteen. He was always really quiet when I saw him around my street but at night there was always shouting coming from his house." Josh began. Louis furrowed his eyebrows. It was obvious that Josh wasn't putting much of an effort into explaining, oblivious to what this meant to Louis.

"Shouting? Was it Harry shouting?" Louis questioned. Eleanor's head was moving back and forth between Louis and Josh, as though she was watching a tennis game.

"No, this sounded like a man's voice. His Dad, I guess."

"Did you ever meet his Dad?" Louis asked, and this was when Josh finally caught on to how curious Louis was being, annoyingly.

"Damn, you sure are asking lots of questions. D'you like Harry or something?" He gave a lopsided smile. Eleanor's face fell, and she turned to face Louis for an answer.

"No! No, it's just he's been commenting on my Facebook and stuff. Just wanted to know who I'm dealing with, y'know?" Louis saved. Josh instantly believed it.

"Ah! Okay, bro, I've got you. Well, I don't know much more, sorry."

"That's fine. Thanks for what you've told me, anyway." Louis smiled, before watching Josh turn away as their English teacher began to start the lesson.

"Are you sure you don't like him?" Eleanor queried.

Louis rolled his eyes, "Yes."

* * *

Louis arrived home and logged in to his Facebook to see a message from Harry. It made him shiver for some reason, but he figured it was because he was kind of afraid of Harry.

Harry Styles: I'd really love it if we could just have a chat .xx

It seemed friendly enough, but so did Harry's behaviour when he first ever spoke to Louis. After then it quickly turned sinister.

Louis Tomlinson: Why did you comment all of that stuff on my pictures?

Louis was doing exactly what he shouldn't have been doing: replying to Harry. Fueling the fire. He just needed answers.

Harry Styles: Cool, a conversation starter! What stuff do you mean, specifically? .xx

Louis could practically see the smirk on Harry's face as he typed out that message and it irritated him beyond belief.

Louis Tomlinson: That bullshit about "Thinking about what that tongue could do" and saying I'm yours. Why? 

Harry Styles: Because it's true .xx

Louis was literally whispering to himself "He better not be talking about the 'I'm yours' part". Then again, for both of those things to be true was unsettling.

Louis Tomlinson: What is? Seriously, this is getting so tiring now.

Harry Styles: You're mine .xx

Okay, there it was. This had to be a joke, right? Harry had to be trying to get on Louis' nerves.

Louis Tomlinson: Shut up, stop trying to annoy me. I'm no one's.

Harry Styles: There was a girl saying you're hot. I just had to make sure she knew you were taken .xx

Louis Tomlinson: "Taken"? What the fuck?

Harry Styles: If you're not in the mindset where you think you're mine yet, I'll give you time to adjust. Look, I just want to get to know you .xx

That made absolutely no sense. If Harry knew he and Louis didn't even know each other yet, why the fuck was he saying Louis was his?

Louis Tomlinson: Well I don't want to get to know you. And I'll never be yours because you scare me.

Harry Styles: I scare you? ;) .xx

Trust Harry to like the fact that he scared someone. It probably upped his already monstrous ego.

Louis Tomlinson: It's not about that anyway. Just... ugh, I don't want to know you.

Harry Styles: No one does .xx

Louis Tomlinson: What does that even mean?

Harry Styles: One date is all I want. Anything you want to ask me, anything you want to set straight, we can do it then. Just give me a chance, please? Everyone deserves a chance. I'm only human .xx

Louis felt a pang of guilt hit his chest. He tried to look past it but it was almost impossible. He hated how sensitive he was, always looking for a way to make others happy, even if it put himself at risk. **Harry** was a risk.

Was it a risk worth taking? Especially after what Josh said about Harry being 'unreadable'.

Louis Tomlinson: Let me think about it.

Harry Styles: In other words, you're going to be thinking about it for the rest of your fucking life and keep me waiting like a desperate twat. If this is how you're going to play it, go fuck yourself. I'll just have to try and destroy the feelings I've already adapted for you.

Jesus Christ, that was a sudden change of mood. Louis had actually thought he was being reasonable with his reply, but evidently not. Nobody normally changed moods that rapidly.

What was going on in Harry's head?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late but I wanted to update (ooh, rhyme) ♡


	10. Chapter 10

Harry wasn't just going to give up on Louis. He may have said so, but it was obvious that it was a lie. The attraction he felt towards Louis Tomlinson was unbreakable; indestructible.

It baffled Louis how pessimistic Harry was. First he was excited and hopeful that maybe Louis would agree to spending more time with him, but he must have doubted himself and thought of himself as what he had said: a desperate twat. He was worried Louis would see the same thing.

As it was a Friday evening, Louis decided to invite Liam and Niall round his house to chill out. They were all lazily settled around the room - Louis slumped against the headboard of his bed, Liam sprawled out on his stomach on the carpet, and Niall idly spinning on the swivel chair near Louis' desk. Alike to many teenagers nowadays, they were all on some sort of electrical device. Liam and Niall were on their phones, Louis was on his laptop. Nobody seemed to mind the nonchalant silence that was over them.

"Oh, did you find Harry's Facebook when you asked me on Thursday for his surname?" Niall questioned. It was strange for someone else to be starting a conversation with Harry Styles as the topic.

"Yeah, then he found me." Louis informed, not even looking up from his laptop's screen. He was scrolling through his Facebook feed in sheer boredom.

"Oh, I saw his comments," Liam spoke up, "On your photos."

"Of course you have. Who hasn't?" Louis scoffed.

"I haven't." Niall piped up. He was ignored.

"So he's still harassing you?" Liam chuckled. It was hardly a laughable subject, but that's Liam Payne for you.

"The last message he sent on Facebook was basically saying he's gonna try and stop," Louis simplified the situation. "Wanna read the conversation?"

"Yeah!" Both Liam and Niall exclaimed, jumping to their feet in an instant. Anything with any sense of entertainment was a go-to for those two.

Louis got it up as his friends climbed onto his bed, before passing his laptop to them. He watched their eyes skimming over the messages, occasionally scrolling down in the conversation.

"Shit," Liam commented after a minute of reading, "His mood definitely changed quickly."

"Niall, what are you doing?" Louis blankly questioned, spotting the blonde boy typing. Niall had a mischievous smirk on his face that made Louis' heart race. "Don't put anything!"

Liam's eyes fell onto the screen again, widening.

"Too late." Niall innocently smiled.

Louis angrily pulled the laptop from Niall's hands, eyes taking in the new message.

_"So tell me about that dick ;)"_

"NIALL, YOU BASTARD!" He exploded, "WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU PUT THAT?"

"It's just a joke, calm your tits." Niall was still laughing.

"A JOKE?!" Louis raged, "I AM SO CLOSE TO PUNCHING YOU RIGHT NOW!"

"Alright, Louis, calm down," Liam soothed, "Just tell Harry it wasn't you."

Louis, whose heart was drumming heavily against his ribcage, took a deep breath before returning his gaze to his laptop.

"Brilliant! He's fucking replied!" Louis sarcastically snapped, putting a hand over his face.

"What's he put?" Liam asked.

"He put a load of question marks."

It was true. Harry had hastily replied with: "???"

"That means he knows it's not something you'd put, right?" Niall tried to make him feel better, but Louis was still embarrassed beyond belief.

Louis Tomlinson: Sorry Harry, that was my cunt of a friend. Please ignore it.

Louis read the message as he typed it, putting emphasis on the swearword and glaring at Niall.

Harry Styles: That's okay, haha :) .xx

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=2jd28er)

"Aww, at least he's being nice about it." Liam patted Louis on the back. "He's not so bad after all, eh?"

"Yes he is," Louis argued, "He's just in one of his unusually nice moods."

"Should I put anything else or just leave it there?" Louis queried, going to his friends for advice. He mainly targeted that question towards Liam, being the mature friend.

"It's up to you. If you feel like it's the right moment to talk to him, I guess." Liam offered.

"But aren't I just giving him false hope?"

"Maybe..." Liam trailed off in thought. "Don't, then."

Louis closed the chat and then proceeded to close the lid of his laptop.

* * *

It was strange for Louis on Saturday morning. He took his neighbour's dog for a walk, ran Felicite to her dance class and went out for lunch with his Mum, all without any sign of Harry. Perhaps he really had come to his senses a bit to hang back.

Something just seemed missing now. Maybe Louis even liked the attention, when it wasn't at its worse.

He didn't think Harry would make an appearance for the entire day, up until his Dad made him go to their corner shop for a new loaf of bread. Harry wasn't the first person to make an appearance, though...

The streets were dark, dimly lit by a row of lampposts, so Louis could just about see every step he took along the pavement. His hands were stuffed in his hoodie's pockets, clutching his phone in one and the £5 note in the other.

The biggest mistake he made on that journey was taking a shortcut through the alleyway behind the park. The floor was sprinkled with the shards of broken beer bottles, glinting in the lamppost's light, and litter carelessly thrown everywhere.

Louis kept his head down, trying to speed his way to the end of the alleyway, but then he heard the intimidating laughter of what must have been a gang of boys. He started going faster but they were coming towards him, visible now in their hoard. There was no point turning back now, so Louis just hoped he'd be proven wrong by judging the gang and they'd actually be decent.

There were about four of them, all tall and egotistical looking. One spotted him and Louis' heart almost stopped.

"Oi, mate, you got any money?" One yelled, as they neared Louis. He tried to be confident, stopping when the gang reached him, and looking up at them.

"I have, yes."

"Give it, then." Another demanded. The overruling scent of weed drifted into Louis' senses, causing him to want to gag. All four men looked negligent, with scruffy stubble and messy hair.

"I-I need it." Louis defended, having to clear his throat to stop it from breaking. "I'm heading to the shop."

Louis took this as an opportunity to try and pass the gang and get away, but he gasped when one grabbed him by his hood and shoved him against the brick wall by his shoulders. Louis harshly whacked his head, causing his ears to ring.

"I said give it." The same man growled, face inches from Louis'.

"N-No, just-"

"GIVE ME THE FUCKING MONEY!"

Louis scrambled in his pocket, retrieving the fiver and limply holding it up. The gang member's face broke into a dark smile.

"There's a good boy." He yanked it out of Louis' hand, stuffing it into his own pocket.

"Now how about a phone?"

Louis' heart impossibly started beating faster.

"Come on, y-you have my money, don't take my phone too!" Louis whined, beseechingly. He was praying that these men would acknowledge his desperation and leave him alone, however this was not their intention. 

"Give me your phone or, believe me, you will fucking regret it." He threatened. Louis wasn't willing to take any chances here. He surrendered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his mobile phone. Just as he was preparing to part from his device, a very recognisable voice rang into the air.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Harry's voice. Louis, for the first time in his entire life, was thrilled to hear that voice. He was just hoping Harry was on his side, which seemed a likely chance.

The gang jerked their heads in his direction in pure terror. The man let go of his grip on Louis' shoulders, taking a vigilant step backwards. Harry, who seemed to tower over even these gang members, strolled over with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes flicking between Louis and the man who had hold of Louis moments ago.

"None of your fucking business," The man warily snapped, clearly trying to big himself up. Harry wasn't fooled.

"Louis," Harry addressed him, "Did they take anything from you? Hurt you?"

This was a moment where Louis didn't want to speak, scared he was going against the gang members and it would make them mad. He tried to tell Harry that they had done both through facial expression, which Harry seemed to actually pick up on. In an instant, he grabbed the man by his shoulders and slammed **him** against the wall, holding him there by his neck. Louis' eyes flew open in surprise, while the three other gang members sprinted away, leaving their friend. Louis had never experienced such strength in his life, watching Harry's hands clamp around the man's neck and constrict. It was quite terrifying to watch.

"I suggest you give back whatever you stole from him," Harry growled, while the man's face was slowly reddening, eyes brimming with water. "Now."

Harry let go of the man's neck for a moment, watching him scramble in his pocket to retrieve the fiver and hand it to Harry.

"Keep it coming," Harry gestured for more.

"Th-That's all I took!" The man truthfully panted.

"I don't give a fuck. Keep it coming!"

The man pulled out another £20 note, reluctantly handing it over.

"Now get the hell out of here before I beat the shit out of you." Harry warned. The gang member took off running, almost tripping over his own feet in the process, disappearing around a corner. There was silence, just the sound of Harry and Louis heavily panting, before the tall boy turned to Louis.

"Here you go, sweetheart." He softly smiled, handing the £25 over. Louis was speechless as he took the money, staring wide-eyed at Harry.

"I-I... Thank you..." Louis gasped. "Thank you!" Without even thinking, Louis threw himself forwards into Harry's arms, in a grateful hug. Harry gladly returned it, resting his chin on Louis' shoulder.

"Anytime." Harry pulled away, giving a little wave before turning away.

Louis' mouth opened before he even thought about it, calling out to Harry. "Harry, hold on a sec!"

The taller boy stopped in his footsteps, slowly twisting around with his eyebrows crinkled together. "What's up?"

"Look... I, umm, I'd like to... spend more time with you." He choked out. Harry leant on one hip, tilting his head to the side with a blank face.

"A date? Or... just hang out?"

"Umm, hang out." Louis rushed.

"Thought so," Harry chuckled, "How about you, y'know, come to my house tomorrow?" He smirked.

Louis took that in a way that Harry wanted something out of this. He felt as though Harry wanted to take Louis upstairs in said house, because of the smirk plastered on his face, but his naturally low voice may have been deceiving. He may have simply only wanted to chill out with Louis - nothing more.

Louis was willing to do anything, just so long as Harry would back off a bit afterwards. He may have saved Louis today, but other than this he was too full-on.

"Fine, okay."

"Could you, like, unblock my phone number, too?"

Louis flushed red. He was quite embarrassed facing Harry about the topic in public because he felt so arrogant.

"I can do, yeah." Louis said. "Could I just ask something?"

"Sure."

"After tomorrow, will you lay off me a bit if I do what you want?"

Harry looked confused. "Lay off you? If I'd have laid off you today, you would have gotten mugged." Harry growled.

"Okay, okay, just for future reference. Forget I even said it."

"I'll text you." Harry stated.

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Louis seemed like a bit of a dick towards the end but he's paranoid Harry wants to use him. He still doesn't know the real Harry :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo

"You what?" Felicite raged, in whisper. "Are you crazy? You're just going to happily go to your stalker's house? Louis, I think you've gone mad."

"You're missing the point. Remember that he saved me from getting mugged! I wouldn't have my phone now if it wasn't for Harry showing up." Louis reminded, taking a sip from the glass of water he had just poured from the tap.

"That's exactly it, Louis!" Felicite exclaimed. "He just showed up! That's not a coincidence, you know!"

Louis analysed it for a second and noticed that what she was saying seemed legitimate. How did Harry just so happen to be there to rescue him at that particular point in time? It wasn't a usual place to be either, in a random alleyway.

"So, you're saying..."

"I think it was planned."

"Planned." Louis breathily laughed at the suggestion. "You're saying it was planned. Well, how would Harry know exactly where I'd be if it was planned, hmm?"

"Well," Felicite cluelessly shrugged, "I dunno, do I?"

There was a reflecting silence between the two, while Louis tipped away the rest of the water he hadn't drank. Felicite was idly biting on her fingernail, staring into space.

"Are you going to his house so he'll lay off a bit, or do you genuinely like him?" She suddenly queried, eyes now on her brother. It caught Louis off-guard; of course it was to make Harry lay off a bit by giving him what he wanted, however he felt so awful for it.

"So he'll lay off." Louis confidently answered.

"That's just leading him on. You'll make it all more intense." Felicite warned. "Seriously, Louis."

That was definitely true. Maybe this meeting up would all backfire in the end and worsen the stalking. Why had Louis been so stupid?

"You're kinda right, actually." Louis admitted. He hated when someone proved him wrong but it was sometimes undeniable.

"Don't go, please," Felicite begged, "It's not worth the risk. Have you not seen all those news stories where people have been raped or murdered after meeting up with mixed up people?"

Louis ran his hands down his face, letting out a stressful groan. She was right. Louis felt like such an idiot for even agreeing to something so stupid.

"I'm not gonna go. I'm gonna tell Harry to leave me alone from now on." Louis pacted. Felicite wrapped him in a hug.

"There's the sensible big brother I've always known." There was a playful tone in her voice, as though joking about the 'sensible' part or that statement. Louis definitely wasn't always sensible.

\- - -

Now Louis had to break it to Harry that he wasn't going to meet up with him... ever. It was certainly going to be difficult to do. He had unblocked Harry's number when he returned home after last night's incident, so he opened up a conversation. His heart broke when he saw the text from Harry.

To Louis - From H: Thank you so much for unblocking my number. I really appreciate how you're accepting me now :) .xx

He felt so, so awful that he was about to turn Harry down and tell him to, in a simplified manner: get the fuck out of his life. He decided to text it to him, because that was far less awkward that on the phone.

To H - From Louis: Hi Harry.

It took just over two minutes to get a reply, suggesting Harry was probably having a lazy Sunday too and wasn't busy.

To Louis - From H: Hello Louis. How are you today? .xx

Louis inhaled deeply, thumbs hovering over his keyboard as he really thought about what to put.

To H - From Louis: I'm okay I guess. Just really need to have a talk. Quite a serious one.

To Louis - From H: Can I call you? .xx

Louis quirked his mouth to the side, considering it. He gave in. He'd spoken to Harry in person before so it wasn't going to be that bad.

To H - From Louis: Yeah, go for it.

A moment or two later, Louis' phone started ringing in his hand. He waited a couple of seconds before answering it.

"Hi."

"Hello, Louis," Harry's deep voice sent a chill down Louis' spine. "What did you want to talk about?"

Louis sighed into the speaker. "About meeting up, I... I've changed my mind. I'm sorry."

There was a heavy silence. Louis was gambling in his head on whether or not he'd get a positive response from Harry but it was hard to tell, seeing as he changed moods so easily.

"Are you fucking serious?"

Louis gripped harder onto his phone, biting his bottom lip until it went white. Not exactly the response he hoped for.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I just don't feel comfortable around you... and I'd appreciate it if you left me alone from now on." Louis piped, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for Harry's reply. What came first was a humourless laugh on the other side of the line, then Harry spoke.

"What did I do wrong? I've done nothing wrong, Louis." There was an evident hint of anger in Harry's tone, which was blatantly being restrained. He really was not happy about this.

"You just haven't been very nice to be around. I don't know, maybe it's the fact that you've been stalking me since we met." Louis tried but failed to tone down on the sass towards the end of his sentence.

"You're... intriguing." Harry breathed. There was now a hint of sadness behind his voice. "What can I do to be nice to be around? I-I can change! J-Just tell me what to do, and-"

"Harry, just stop. You're never going to be nice to be around!" Louis didn't mean to sound so nasty but it just came out. It all got to him. He could hear what sounded like subtle breathy crying on Harry's side of the line, causing him to have to ignore the guilt building in his gut again.

"I'm sorry." Louis finished, when Harry said nothing.

"Fuck you," Harry muttered, "Fuck you, Louis Tomlinson. Why do you hate me?! I did nothing wrong. I DID NOTHING WRONG!" He suddenly started shouting, causing Louis to jump. "I HAVE NO ONE, LOUIS. NO ONE! I-I JUST NEED SOMEONE!" Harry broke into tears that were audible, while Louis was left baffled and physically shaking.

Then there was a shrill beep, declaring that Harry had hung up on him. Louis was speechless.

\- - -

"He just yelled 'I have no one' and 'I just need someone' and then he hung up!" Louis frantically explained to Liam and Niall the next day, in the car on the way to school.

"Shit," Liam nervously bit his lip, "His life seems like... a mess."

"I don't know **what's** going on," Louis sighed, "But it's kind of gotten to me a bit."

Louis had been sat in his room all of the previous night, haunted by what Harry had said. The pain in Harry's voice was chilling. It sounded genuine, like he had given Louis an actual insight into his life. Maybe he **didn't** have anyone there for him, and that was sad. It made Louis wish he had given Harry a real chance.

"But d'you think he'll actually stop now? You thought he would before but he didn't." Niall noted from the back seat, picking nonchalantly at the frayed rip at the knee of his jeans. "He really likes you, man. Enough to tell you that."

"He trusts me." Louis breathed to himself, without even thinking about it. Liam turned to him with a sad smile.

"He does, Lou. He just wants a chance."

"What has this turned into? The 'make Louis feel fucking awful squad'?" Louis spat, as he parked in the corner of the school's car park. "You two keep changing your minds about him."

"That's because maybe he isn't as bad as we thought. Maybe he just needs someone he can confide in." Liam gave a shrug and a suggestive smile. "You could be that someone, Louis."

"Shut up, Payno." Louis rolled his eyes, unplugging his seatbelt and getting out the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you guys wanted Lou to go to Harry's house but I decided it's way too early in the story. I gave a little insight into what's happening in Harry's life though, which you might find out soon. Any questions you have, I'll answer in the comments.♡
> 
> Thanks.


	12. Chapter 12

Six days passed by. 144 hours. 8,640 minutes. 518,400 seconds -- okay, you get Louis' point: six days passed by without any sign of Harry. No new texts, calls or Facebook messages, no sign of him in public, **nothing**.

Louis actually found himself worrying at this point. He didn't want it to have this impact on him but he couldn't help but wonder where Harry was; what he was doing. The last Louis had heard from him was a mix of almost incoherent swearing and sobbing on the phone, showing that he really was in a bad place at the moment. As Louis sat in his bedroom on an early Saturday evening, he got curious. He got his laptop and logged onto Facebook, typing in Harry's name so he could get his profile up.

There were a few new things: two pictures and a status update.

He actually felt a spike of jealousy over the first photo

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=24zgffm)

which he really didn't understand the cause of. Yeah, Louis found Harry pretty good looking, but he would have taken the chance to date Harry if that's what he truly wanted. Maybe he was jealous because someone else had Harry's intimate attention, whether that person was his close friend or not didn't matter.

The second picture, from sometime last week, was one that Zayn had uploaded but tagged Harry in.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=4rt7k0)

It was captioned: Hazza's on the pull tonight ;)

Again, Louis got that tingle of jealousy in the pit of his stomach at the thought of Harry moving on and finding someone else. Louis guessed it was just nice having someone attractive giving him attention, and always having said person as an option - even though that sounded slightly selfish.

Louis tried not to look at how hot Harry looked in a blazer for too long and scrolled down to a status Harry had left.

It said: "Anyone up for a bit of fun? Don't care what gender, just need to take my mind off a few things .xx"

It had 135 likes and 48 comments from people leaving their phone numbers, showing that Harry was very popular among everyone. Even though Harry had 135 people who probably wanted to jump in bed with him, Harry still only focused on Louis. Shit.

It was sad, really, how Harry admitted in that status that he only wanted "a bit of fun" to take his mind off things. These "things" could have been linked to Louis, which was upsetting for him. If he caused Harry such distress that he had to try and clear his mind with uncommitted sex, that was awful.

Louis decided to text Harry, just to see how he was doing. Yeah, it must have been confusing for Harry, but Louis wanted to make sure Harry was okay. Especially after what he had said on that phone call six days back.

To H - From Louis: Hello Harry. Sorry if I'm confusing you but I just wanted to ask how you are. x

He placed a kiss on the end, just to make sure it was clearly friendly. He just hoped it wasn't misleading to Harry at all.

To Louis - From H: Seriously? You can't just do that.

Wow, someone wasn't happy. Maybe Louis was being a bit of an arsehole here, demanding Harry left him alone but then crawling back to him. It made Louis seem quite desperate.

To H - From Louis: Look, I just mean to be friendly here. After that phone call when you cried I got worried. x

To Louis - From H: So you left it 6 days to actually say something? Pathetic. You don't care about me, you probably only care about what I look like.

Okay...

To H - From Louis: Come on, I'm not like that. You're a human being, Harry, I just wanted to make sure you're okay, no matter what's happened between us in the past x

To Louis - From H: What HAS happened between us? Nothing. Only your reluctance to try anything out in the first place. I really REALLY like you! I hate to admit that I still do but I can't stop liking you. No matter who I meet, I'll always compare them to you. Always.

Louis felt a lump form in his throat. It, for some reason, made him feel like actually tearing up. He was probably just in one of those emotional moods of his that he often experienced.

To H - From Louis: I'm sorry if you still feel that way. x

To Louis - From H: You're just playing me around, aren't you? Probably just having a laugh with your mates or something because you know how much I want you.

To H - From Louis: No! Of course not! I wouldn't do that! x

To Louis - From H: Sorry, just paranoia.

Louis took a while to think of another message. He hated a conversation that didn't flow, and this was surely becoming one. He just decided to end the conversation again.

To H - From Louis: Goodbye x

To Louis - From H: Bye. Thanks for another dose of false hope.

Louis locked his phone with a sigh. He regretted messaging Harry now and felt quite awful. All he had done was flaunt himself to Harry, like waving a bone in front of a dog, and then left again. The truth was, he wanted to know more about Harry. He wanted to find out how his life was, why he found happiness in sleeping with people, with no love involved.

Why was he so unhappy?

\- - -

Louis ventured to a local park alone on the Sunday morning, deciding he'd just chill on a bench there and get some space from an argument his parents were currently having about something else pointless, probably. He watched the ducks gliding through the murky green pond, wishing his life were as easy as a duck's. All their instinct told them on a daily basis was: survive. Eat and stay safe. They didn't have to worry about school, work, relationships... they just swam around and... quacked.

When the autumn wind picked up a bit, the goosebumps on Louis' bare arms reminded him that he had left his jacket at home. Trust him to do that. He didn't want to have to walk all the way home just to get it, so he just crossed his arms and hoped he'd adjust to the weather soon.

Then the first of the rain started falling, only lightly to begin with. Louis felt the speckled raindrops hitting his arms, glancing upwards to see grey clouds forming overhead. The one time he decided to have some alone time, it always backfired.

He was contemplating whether or not to withstand the light rain and wind, which was easier to handle than his parents' arguing. The walk home was about ten minutes.

He got to his feet on the pebbled path, folding his arms tightly around himself as he started strolling back down the path. Others were fleeing or grabbing umbrellas, but Louis continued to move along slowly.

That's when he heard him. Harry's voice. At first he thought he had imagined it, but he looked around to surely enough see Harry Styles on one of the nearby benches, chatting on his phone. This was getting bizarre now, the constant meetings they both had. It didn't seem as though Harry even knew of Louis' presence yet.

That was until he ended the call, standing up, putting his phone in the pocket of his coat and looking up to instantly lock eyes with Louis. His face was unreadable, eyebrows slightly raised and mouth apart, but he was definitely staring. Neither said a thing, and now the rain had gotten heavier and Louis' t-shirt and hair were dampening fast.

"Why don't you have a coat?" The question fell from Harry's lips, concern crossing his face. He sounded like a parent.

"Left it at home." Louis shrugged, with a small smile. He awkwardly kicked a pebble on the path, hands now in his pockets. The next thing he knew, Harry had shaken his black coat off and was holding it towards him.

"Take it. Put it on." Harry commanded.

"Harry, no. Now your arms are bare." Louis commented, trying not to stare at the way Harry's biceps slightly protruded as he held out the coat.

"I don't care, put the coat on." There was a sense of impatience in Harry's voice, and Louis didn't want him to lose his patience entirely after that last phone call.

He took the coat, shyly slipping it on. It completely swallowed him, obviously tailored for Harry's taller build, and its sleeves went past his hands. It smelt of an aftershave that Louis couldn't stop subtly sniffing.

"There you go," Harry chuckled, "Do you have your car with you?"

"No."

"Can I give you a lift home?"

"Hmm... as long as you don't pretend to kidnap me this time." Louis scowled, which made Harry heartily laugh.

"I promise not to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So their friendship/relationship/whatever you wanna call it is pretty fucked up, I know, but Louis is coming to terms with Harry and hasn't yet discovered... everything.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR!  
> So I wrote this and have been contemplating whether or not to post it because some may say it's taking the story too quickly? The whole thing contains Larry, ok?  
> Right, this is over 2,500 words long because I was in such a writing mood... if I've taken things too quickly, I'm sorry!
> 
> *Unedited*

"Do you seriously promise not to do anything to scare me this time?" Louis worried, as he and Harry rushed through the rain towards Harry's BMW, which was parked in the little car park at the end of the path.

"D'you not trust me, Lou?" Harry purred. The fact that he had dropped the second syllable of Louis' name gave him a shiver. His lower voice always sounded so seductive and Louis couldn't help but to have an inner reaction.

"I still don't know." Louis stated. They reached Harry's car, which he opened with his keys.

"C'mon, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Harry said. "I promise."

Louis quirked his mouth to the side, feeling like an idiot, stood in the pouring rain with sopping wet hair, a scowl and a stranger's large coat.

"Fine," Louis gave in, "But if you do anything stupid, I will not hesitate to kick you in the crotch."

"Jeez, alright." Harry laughed, opening the driver's side door while Louis got in on the passenger side. He hated how Harry easily stepped into the higher car, while Louis had to give a slight jump. The car still smelt new and modern, with a hint of Harry's aftershave. Maybe it was because the smell was radiating off the coat of Harry's that Louis was cocooned in.

Harry started the car, pulling the car's sun visor down before ruffling his fringe in the mirror. Louis hated himself for watching how hot Harry looked as he fixed his hair. It was obvious he knew Louis was watching, giving a sexy little squint to himself before closing the mirror.

He turned to Louis, smirking at him after finding him looking. Louis glanced away at the speed of light, plugging in his seatbelt before clasping his hands together in his lap.

"Hold on," Harry breathed, still not having even started the vehicle yet. He was messing about with the radio now, flicking through stations until he found one playing Green Day. It was like he was prolonging the situation so Louis would be in his car for longer. That was Louis' instinct.

After plugging his own seatbelt in, Harry glanced back over his shoulder, reversing out of the parking space. He gave a little glance to Louis, staring for a moment, giving a smirk and turning out of the car park and onto the road.

"Where am I taking you, then?" Harry questioned, eyes concentrated on the road.

"I was thinking home." Louis sarcastically remarked.

"And I was thinking more... maybe a restaurant?"

"Seriously? I look like a wet dog and I'm fucking freezing." Louis exclaimed. Harry once again gazed over at Louis quickly, before back at the road.

"Can I comment on that?"

"Go for it." Louis sighed.

"You look really hot, all wet like that." He informed lowly. Louis felt his cheeks heat up.

"Still not going to a restaurant."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Harry shrugged. "Where's home, then?"

"Well, I'm not going to tell you the exact address."

"What do you think I'm gonna fucking do, bomb your house?" Harry joked, and Louis involuntarily let out a loud laugh. "Yay, you're finally warming up to me!"

"Didn't say that." Louis pouted.

"Damn, you're really playing hard to get, you know that?"

Maybe Louis sort of was playing hard to get. Harry was  **really** hot and pretty funny, but Louis still couldn't work out the other part; the hidden part; the part that caused him to change moods so rapidly. He wanted to ask now, to question Harry until nothing remained in his curiosity, but it was a controversial move to make.

He glanced at Harry, who was concentrating on driving, slightly biting his plump lip. He looked calm enough...

"Hazza?" The nickname completely slipped out. Louis once new a Harry who he'd call Hazza, so it was instinct.

Harry smugly smiled. "Yeah, Lou?"

Nickname terms.

"Umm, I want to talk about something... but I'm not sure whether it's appropriate or not now."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced over at Louis. "What is it? Should I pull over?"

Louis was definitely regretting even attempting to bring anything up now, but he found himself nodding anyway. This was worth finding out about Harry's life a bit more.

Harry pulled into the car park of a shop, rolling the car into a space before stopping the car, pulling the handbreak and taking the keys out.

"Is it important?" Harry actually seemed quite worried but also intrigued at the same time.

"Just something I'm curious about."

"Okay,"

"It's about... just you in general. I want to know more about you." Louis put it like this, watching Harry's face turn blank. He definitely wasn't expecting Louis to bring that up, but there it was.

"Oh, uh-"

"Could I? I'm eager to know about your life." Louis interrogated, too afraid to even look at him. He heard Harry deeply sigh, and this caused him to look at him now.

"That doesn't matter," He growled, voice now possessing that edge that told Louis he was losing patience. Louis proceeded anyway, wanting to coax an answer from him. The rain was drumming down onto the car roof, seemingly adding even more suspense to the situation.

"Look, see this as my way of getting closer to you." Louis simplified. "I just want to... know more."

Harry hesitated, but responded after a moment or two of silence.

"How about you come to my house? We can exchange questions, get to know each other more?" Harry suddenly sprung it up, but there was no low tone that suggested they should do anything else at his house.

"Okay." Louis shrugged. "That's fine."

\- - -

What the actual hell was Louis doing? He shouldn't have gotten into Harry's car, let alone his house. Louis didn't know what to expect from Harry's house, but they pulled into the car park of a modern, reasonably posh apartment complex.

"Come on," Harry smiled, removing the keys from his car again and jumping out. It was still raining pretty heavily, so Louis pulled the coat's hood up and quickly followed Harry, who had locked his car behind them.

They got into the building through its glass door, and Harry began climbing the metal staircase.

He had really nice legs - Louis had to take note of that.

Louis timidly followed, jogging up the stairs to keep up. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Won't your parents be a bit confused if I just turn up?" He queried, when they had gotten to the first floor and stopped at a door halfway down. Harry stopped in his footsteps, gulping.

"Uh, I live on my own," He flashed Louis a little smile. Yep, that made Louis nervous.

Harry fumbled with his keys, managing to stick one into the lock and open the door of his flat. He walked inside, welcoming Louis inside.

The little hallway was tidy, with Harry's shoes lined up along the wall and his jackets hung up on pegs above. Harry stepped out of his shoes, setting them by the others, so Louis did the same. He also shook the coat off that Harry had leant him, hanging it up.

The hallway opened into a kitchen on the right, which too was tidy and modern - with tiled floors and glossy worktops - and straight ahead from the hall was the living room area, where Harry was leading them. Louis now realised neither of them had spoken yet, since in the apartment.

"Nice place," Louis commented, glancing around the living room. It had laminate flooring, grey walls - with a black and white London skyline wallpaper behind the flat screen TV on a glass stand.

"Thanks," Harry said. "Sit down if you want." He nudged his head towards the black leather sofa, which was in front of the television.

Louis did this, quite awkwardly perching himself on the edge of the seat.

"Do you want a drink?" Harry asked, clapping his hands together. Louis hoped he didn't mean alcohol.

"That'd be great. What do you have?"

"I think I only have Pepsi at the moment... or water." Harry laughed. "Need to get out and do some shopping. Is Pepsi okay?"

Oh.

"Yeah, Pepsi's fine, cheers." Louis smiled. Harry nodded, strolling into the kitchen. Louis used this time to reflect on everyone who would be absolutely furious if they knew Louis was here right now.

"Put the TV on, if you want!" Harry called from the kitchen, making Louis jump slightly.

"Yeah, okay. What should I put on?"

He grabbed the remote off the table, switching on the television while awaiting a reply.

"I dunno, a music channel or something?" Harry suggested. Louis obeyed this, switching on The UK Top 40.

Harry walked back into the room with two glasses of Pepsi. He hummed along to the music, handing one to Louis and sitting the other side of the couch. At least he was giving Louis some space, that was a good sign.

"Thanks." Louis grinned, taking a sip from the glass before setting it down on the coffee table. Harry did too, drumming his hands on his knees to the music.

"So," He mused, "Quickfire questions. You start."

"Umm," Louis thought, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen. You?"

"Oh, I'm seventeen." Louis chuckled. Harry's face broke into a little smile.

"Hmm," Harry thought, "Favourite film of all time?"

"I've always liked Grease," Louis blushed, because he hated admitting it. "You?"

"Mine's worse: Love Actually."

Louis giggled at Harry's romance option. He seemed more of a horror film sort of guy, but obviously you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

"Umm..." Louis hesitated, "I can't think of anything else."

"We've only asked, like, two," Harry chuckled. "Anything! Seriously, I'll answer anything."

"Any hidden talents?" Louis randomised.

"Three," Harry said, "Apparently I'm a good singer, I can juggle, and I, umm, have absolutely no gag reflex."

Louis chuckled at the third one. Should he have taken that dirtily? He did. But there was the singing talent that he needed to know more about.

"Come on, give me a little singsong." Louis smirked. Harry listened to what song was on the television at that point in time, which was Sugar by Maroon 5, and he began singing along to the chorus.

Every note he sang, every word, sent a dense shiver down Louis' spine. He felt his heartbeat increase and goosebumps erupt on his arms at the angelic yet rough voice leaving Harry's lips. When he was finished, he gave a comical bow, and Louis' mouth was agape.

"Holy shit, you're fucking incredible!" Louis exclaimed. "What the hell?"

Harry gave a sheepish shrug and smile, picking at a strand of thread on the hem of his t-shirt. "Thanks."

Louis realised that he had finished his drink completely, as had Harry.

"Let me take these glasses out," Harry said, after also noticing the empty glasses. "Uno momento."

He left the room again, entering the kitchen, and Louis couldn't help but smile to himself. He was surprisingly becoming very relaxed around Harry now, although he didn't want to admit that. It was probably because Harry was in a good mood.

Could this be considered as a first date? Did Harry think this was what it was? Louis didn't think it was.

Harry returned a moment later. This time he sat so close to Louis that their legs were pressed together, as were their arms. Louis felt his pulse thicken as Harry's alluring scent filled his senses and spiralled his head into a frenzy. Harry turned to Louis in the close proximity, as if he knew what he was doing to him, and smirked.

"You don't mind me sitting right here, do you?" There came that low voice: the one that again made Louis shiver. Was Harry just creeping Louis out or actually turning him on? Regrettably, Louis believed it was the second option.

"No." Louis found himself whispering with a little smirk of his own, eyes still locked with Harry's.

"You're so fucking hot," Harry breathed, moving one hand to place it on Louis' chest. Louis surprisingly didn't react; he left it there. His stomach was flipping and he was literally holding his breath. 

The next sentence Louis allowed himself to say surprised both himself and Harry. "So are you."

Harry's eyes only seemed to darken, pupils dilating slightly at Louis' response. Happy with the outcome, he proceeded to gently run his hand up and down Louis' torso, very softly. Louis' eyes were still locked with Harry's.

"You like that, don't you?" Harry asked lowly, with a slight smirk. Louis hummed in response, enjoying the feeling of Harry's hand stroking lightly over his stomach. His hand continued to trail downwards, though, towards a very intimate area of Louis', and this was where he drew the line.

"No, no, no," Louis whined, standing up, to Harry's dismay. He looked down at Harry with wide eyes and a fast-beating heart.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have." Harry apologised, running a hand through his hair and standing up. "I am sorry, Louis, seriously." He held out a hand to place on Louis' shoulder, but the smaller boy shook his head and stepped back.

"Sorry, I'm always just really wary," Louis shook his head and rubbed his eye.

"It's my fault, I just lost control."

"You tend to do that a lot, don't you?" Again, this slipped out of Louis' mouth before he could prevent it. Harry's eyebrows furrowed.

"What d'you mean?"

"Don't worry. Look, can you run me home now?"

Despite Harry's burning urge to know what Louis meant, he just gave a smile and agreed. "Of course."

They both slipped their shoes on, and Louis opened up the door.

"Wait, take my coat again," Harry insisted, "It's still raining." He pointed to the window in the hallway of the space outside Harry's apartment.

"Okay," Louis nervously laughed. He wasn't going to try and say no because he did hate getting cold and wet.

Harry handed him the same coat, which he slipped on again. Then they headed out the flat again and to Harry's car.

\- - -

"Thanks for letting me come round, and for letting me borrow your coat." Louis smiled, when they arrived outside his house. He decided that, as he trusted Harry more now, he didn't mind letting him know where he lived.

"It was a pleasure," Harry said. Louis began removing the coat, but Harry stopped him.

"No, keep it for now. You still have to walk to your door. I'll get it back another time." Harry assured.

"Are you sure?" Louis questioned.

"Yeah," Harry smiled. "Go on, I'll see you round."

"Thanks again." Louis reiterated.

"Don't mention it, babe." Harry sent a wink his way, making Louis' stomach flip again. Why was he reacting like this? He rushed out the car, slamming the door behind him, and jogged up his path. He gave one last wave before entering his house.

He immediately ran upstairs so no one questioned where he had been, entering his room and placing the coat over the back of his desk chair. He fell back onto his bed with a smile. The feeling taking over his stomach couldn't be identified as anything but lovestruck. Yeah, he was supposed to hate Harry Styles, but something about him just kept Louis wanting more.

What cut Louis off from his musing was the sound of a text notification. It wasn't coming from his pocket... it was coming from the pocket of Harry's coat. Louis curiously got up, walking over to the coat and pulling out the device, which was flashing with a lock screen background of Harry and Zayn.

Harry had left his phone in the pocket. He must have forgotten to remove it when he had finished a call at the park and put it in there.

It had no password but Louis didn't want to be nosey, so he put the phone back and decided he'd message Harry on Facebook and tell him later. He'd probably soon realise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wAS IT OKAY?!?!?! SERIOUSLY?


	14. Chapter 14

The urge to unlock Harry's phone and go through it was slowly building in Louis' gut, but at the same time he felt awful about it. He **barely** knew Harry. It might have been a different story if it was Niall or Liam's phone, but it wasn't. It was Harry's.

It had been three hours since Harry dropped Louis home earlier that day, yet no message had come through from him on Facebook. Maybe Harry accessed his Facebook through his phone? If so, Louis knew he was probably pissing himself with worry.

Louis had his laptop in his lap, typing a message out to Harry saying "You left your phone in the pocket of your coat! It keeps going off" but didn't press enter. He stopped when another text notification came through from Harry's phone.

This time, Louis got up and grabbed Harry's phone again, sitting on his bed with it. He pressed the unlock button, seeing another message from Zayn. He swiped the screen, opening up the device, and bit his bottom lip as he tapped onto Harry's texts. He was contemplating whether to actually go onto the conversation with Zayn because it would later tell Harry that he'd already read the message and he'd know Louis had been the person that looked at it.

He went on it anyway.

The first of the two recent texts that Zayn had sent made Louis shiver.

Zayn: Just remember, don't stop until there's blood ;)

And the second just said "Are you there??"

"What the fuck?" Louis whispered to himself, heart starting to lightly thud as he analysed what the hell this first message could mean.

The initial thought that struck his mind was: "Is it anything to do with me? What if Harry is a psychotic murderer and I never knew?!"

He was about to scroll upwards in the conversation to try and read more and get a hint of what the meaning was, however he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He sprung to his feet, grabbed the coat and phone and stuffed them under his duvet cover, right before sitting back on his bed with his laptop. His door opened a moment later to reveal Lottie, who hadn't even bothered to knock, as no one in their house really did. Privacy was very much limited for the Tomlinsons.

"Dinner's ready," She brightly informed, before leaving the room again. She could have easily just yelled that up the stairs and Louis would've heard, but instead she had to invade his bedroom. That was younger sisters for you.

He left the coat under his bed covers but moved the phone into the drawer of his bedside table, worried that otherwise he'd forget it was in his bed, jump onto it and crush it through the covers. That's the sort of stupid thing he'd do, and then he'd have to try and tell Harry that this phone was broken. That'd be a nightmare to do, he didn't even want to imagine what the outcome would be.

He left his room and jogged down the stairs. He didn't even realise he was hungry until he smelt the recognisable scent of pizza: his favourite food.

\- - -

It was deadly silent around the dinner table. Since that morning, when Jay and Mark had experienced their rather fierce argument - that Louis had actually left the house to avoid - they hadn't spoken a word to each other. None of Louis' sisters looked pleased about their parents' new "rivalry". Louis didn't look too happy either but that was only because he was still trying to work out what that bloody text meant. Quite **literally** a bloody text.

"Hey, how about we all watch a film tonight, as a family?" Felicite suddenly spoke up, when the quiet just became too much. "We haven't done that in a while." Louis figured that was for all the right reasons.

Mark blankly looked at Jay for her answer, and she shrugged and nodded at the same time. "I'll do whatever, I don't mind."

"Lou?" Felicite queried, turning to him for his input. In all honesty, Louis didn't particularly want to watch a movie with his family because it'd either end up inevitably being Frozen - as always. Louis couldn't stand that film.

"I dunno." Louis muttered.

"See? I knew this wouldn't work. This family's falling apart." Mark snarled, causing others around the table to gape at him. "No one wants to do anything anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" Jay angrily demanded.

"Mum, Dad, stop. You're not starting another argument in front of us. I'm sick of it!" Louis snapped. It shut them up, anyway. It was definitely needed. "I'll watch the bloody film if it'll stop this family 'falling apart', for goodness sake."

Jay said nothing, she just stood up with her empty plate, ruffling Louis' hair with her free hand as she left the room as a way of non-verbally thanking him.

\- - -

Louis sent the message to Harry on Facebook that he had earlier drafted, getting an immediate reply from Harry.

Harry Styles: Oh shit, I did! Can I drop round and pick it up? .xx

Louis was supposed to be watching that stupid film with his family in a little under ten minutes, and he couldn't risk anyone - especially Felicite - seeing Harry. She'd freak out and probably tell Jay and Mark that their son's psycho stalker was near their house.

Louis Tomlinson: Could I meet you somewhere and give it to you?

Harry Styles: Give it to me? Sounds promising ;) .xx

Louis Tomlinson: The phone, idiot

Harry Styles: I was joking, Lou. Where should I meet you? (it'll be my second time seeing you today!:D) .xx

It was kind of cute how excited he was to see Louis again.

Louis Tomlinson: Hmm... I don't mind (I know right, how magnificent.)

Harry Styles: How about the park? .xx

Louis Tomlinson: That's kind of far for me to walk just for that, and I can't be bothered to drive either.

Harry Styles: Okay, I'll park halfway up your street and you can meet me there, if you don't feel comfortable with me coming by your house. The direction towards the park, along your road. How's that? .xx

Louis Tomlinson: Sounds better. See you in ten minutes?

Harry Styles: I'll be there .xx

\- - -

Louis' family members were settling down in the living room with popcorn, setting up the film. Louis popped his head in quickly.

"Guys, I've just got to give run down the road and give Liam his phone back," Louis used Liam's name to play it safe. "Won't be a minute."

"You better hurry up! We're not waiting for too long!" Jay urged, glancing up at the grandfather clock to double check the time.

"Mum, I've seen this film, like, twenty-five thousand times. I doubt I'll be lost in the storyline. You can start it without me if you need to, okay?" Louis left the room, entering the hallway again, slipping into his shoes and leaving the house. He stuffed his left hand in the pocket of his jeans while clutching Harry's phone in his right, walking quickly in the required direction.

He could see Harry's silhouette in the distance but it brought that fear in Louis' stomach again, as it used to, because of how terrifying the text from Zayn had sounded. Harry, effectively, made himself sound like a bit of a maniac, and this could be so. He just had to be vigilant.

"Hey," Harry smiled, when Louis reached him. Harry looked a bit more tired than he had earlier, hair a little more ruffled and eyes ever-so-slightly more droopy.

"Hi." Louis addressed, holding out Harry's phone. "Your phone."

Harry took it with an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Louis... but what about my coat?" He had a smirk plastered on his face, as though he knew Louis would hate himself for forgetting that and having to venture back to get it.

"For fuck's sake," Louis muttered, "Left it in my fucking room."

"Don't worry about it for now, I'll get that some other day. At least I got this back," He waved his phone around. "Can't survive without it, y'know?"

"Mhmm." Louis hummed, sticking his other hand in his pocket too. Harry cocked his head to the side, analysing Louis' demeanour for a second.

"Why're you being quiet all of a sudden? You were all loud and cute earlier."

"Tired, I guess." Louis lied. No, it was because he was apprehensive around Harry now because he didn't know what the heck he was planning. Maybe he was being too over-analytical.

"Aww," Harry cooed, poking out his bottom lip, "Well can I give you a hug before I go? Just as a thanks for looking after my phone for a few hours."

That was such a bad excuse to touch Louis again. Louis felt as though Harry would pull a knife on him or something, even though that sounded stupid, and he didn't want that text to influence his opinion on Harry but he couldn't help it.

"You could just say that you're thankful."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "No, you're not tired, something's happened," He shook his head, "What have I done? Is it about how I touched you earlier?"

"Honestly, no, I'm fine." Louis assured, with a quick fake smile.

"Just a little hug? C'mon, I'm gonna be on my own for the rest of the evening."

Harry was unusually good at persuading. He seemed to use emotive sort of language to get what he wanted, and it worked for sure.

"Make it quick, my family's waiting for me."

Harry stepped forwards and wrapped Louis in a weirdly tight hug. His taller build swallowed Louis' smaller one, but Louis soon got used to the scent of Harry's aftershave and warmness of Harry's chest against his cheek. Harry didn't seem to let go, holding onto Louis tightly, and the smaller boy began questioning whether he'd ever actually escape or not.

"You should come over again sometime." Harry said, still mid-hug with Louis. "You're really nice company."

"Mmm." Louis muffled, not particularly giving a distinctive reply. It seemed to be enough for Harry, who pulled out of the hug and held Louis out by his shoulders. Harry's eyes scanned Louis' face and he smiled.

"Thanks for being so adorable and generally hot."

"... You're welcome?" Louis questioned, causing Harry to release a chuckle.

"Anyway, I better let you get back home," Harry stepped back, tucking his thumbs into his pockets. His jeans were so very tight that he probably couldn't fit his large hands into them. "I hope you stop feeling 'tired' soon." Harry smirked, using obvious air quotations.

"Yeah, okay." Louis gave a stern nod. "I'll see you again... perhaps."

"Perhaps." Harry gave a shrug. "Bye, Louis."

Harry winked, as he usually did now in his goodbyes, before turning towards his car and climbing into it. Louis turned the other way, beginning to walk. As Harry's car started and caught up with him, Harry rolled the window down.

"Nice arse, by the way!" He called, with that smirk. Louis rolled his eyes, sticking up his middle finger, hearing Harry's chuckle before he rolled the window back up and sped off.

Man, Louis was just wishing he'd read the rest of those texts. Maybe Zayn and Harry were just having a stupid conversation, one where they're joking around...

Yeah, that seemed like a likely excuse for Louis to tell himself. He just wanted more of Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it was boring. (Or if you don't get Harry's text situation)
> 
>  
> 
> Might update again tonight :)
> 
> Question: Is there anything you'd like to see (minor things, preferably) in later chapters that I could involve?


	15. Chapter 15

Harry luckily didn't send Louis any blaming texts about snooping around on his phone. The fact that Harry trusted Louis enough not to even question it made Louis feel even more guilty about actually doing it.

He wished he hadn't even read those texts. He still wanted to tolerate Harry, as he had been recently, so he just stuck with the theory that Harry and Zayn were probably just joking around -- especially seeing as Zayn put a winking face too.

All of this drama aside, the whole feeling sorry thing kicked in for Louis, remembering that Harry was lonely in his flat. Then again, Louis himself felt lonely in his bedroom because it was approaching 1 o'clock in the morning, everyone was in bed, he couldn't get 'Let It Go' out of his head, and he had to wake up bright and early for school the next day. If Mondays were a physical form, Louis wouldn't hesitate to stab them. Okay, now he was just sounding like a babbling idiot.

He wasn't one tiny bit tired, which meant he certainly would be in the morning. He tried entertaining himself by browsing on his laptop but that soon got boring and somehow made him feel even more lonely.

He wondered what Harry was doing at that moment in time. Probably either sitting on the sofa in front of the television, or asleep in bed. Louis just wanted someone to talk to. He knew Niall and Liam were most likely asleep because they were lightweights and drifted to sleep easily and early.

He decided he'd text Harry. He ignored all of those immature warning signs in his head after the Zayn texts, opening a conversation with Harry.

Louis: Are you awake? I'm really bored and everyone's asleep.

The reply came within two minutes.

Harry: Yeah, I'm awake. I thought you were tired earlier, eh? ;) .xx

Shit, Louis forgot about that. If he was really as tired as he made out to be when he saw Harry, he'd be fast asleep at a time like this.

Louis: Thought I was... guess not so much anymore.

Harry: Okay. Well I don't know why you're texting me, I can't exactly entertain you from here .xx

Louis: True. But I just felt lonely and I like knowing someone else is awake too, you know?

Harry: Of course, same here. One sex, just gonna grab a quick drink .xx

Harry: *sec

Louis chuckled to himself at the failed typing from Harry, deciding to make a joke out of it.

Louis: Has it been one sex yet?

Harry replied a few slow minutes later.

Harry: Fuck off, it was an easy mistake ;) .xx

Louis: Sorry, haha. What are you doing now?

Harry: Drinking my drink and watching the football .xx

Louis: Who's playing?

Harry: It's not a live match. Man U vs Liverpool .xx

Louis: Oh, cool

Harry: You don't find it cool, you're just keeping the conversation going ;) .xx

Louis: Kinda true

Harry: Haven't you got school tomorrow? .xx

Louis: So?

Harry: You need to sleep .xx

Louis: I'll get up anyway

Harry: So... are you snuggling with my coat? ;) .xx

Admittedly, Harry's coat was resting on top of Louis' covers, so he was in bed with it. He grabbed it and pulled it up to his face, inhaling that wonderful aftershave again as he replied.

Louis: No, it's hung on my chair

Harry: Fuck I'm so bored .xx

Louis: Same. This conversation is going nowhere.

Harry: What would you rather be doing now? ;) .xx

Louis: Don't even try to turn this sexual, Harry Styles.

Harry: Who said I was?!?!?! :o .xx

Louis playfully rolled his eyes at Harry's response.

Louis: Whatever. I might actually try and get some sleep soon, it's gone 1AM

Harry: You're gonna leave me?! That's pure evil .xx

Louis: I'm slowly switching my phone off

Harry: You dick. But anyway, Goodnight Louis. Get some sleep, yeah? :) .xx

Louis: Night night !

Louis managed to drift off to sleep quickly after that, proving he did just need someone to talk to beforehand. Either that or Harry Styles was his ideal lullaby.

\- - -

"You seem happier today," Niall commented, when they were all in Louis' car the next morning. "Has Harry been laying off, or something?"

Actually, Harry had been doing the complete opposite, yet Louis liked it a bit more now.

"It's not always about him, y'know?" Louis cocked an eyebrow. "I have other sources of happiness, aside from a lack of stalking."

"Speaking of the devil, isn't that his car?" Liam spoke up, nudging his head towards the car in the other lane, slightly in front of theirs. Louis wished it was, however the registration number was different. It would have been nice seeing Harry that morning, just as a little pick-me-up.

"No, luckily not." Louis chuckled. More like **unfortunately** not.

\- - -

Louis got back home at around half past three that afternoon, kicking off his shoes and throwing his rucksack down. Upon hearing Louis' arrival, Jay left the living room. Louis' heart rate increased when he saw Harry's coat in her hand.

"Who's Harry Styles?" She quizzed. "His name's written on the label."

"Harry Styles?" Came Felicite's voice, from where she had appeared after coming down the stairs. "What about him?" Her confused gaze landed on Louis, whose face was reddening slowly.

"This is his coat. Who is he?"

"The guy who's been stalking Louis!" Felicite informed, causing Louis' eyes to wildly widen. Why would she go and slip up on that?

"Stalking? What?" Jay panicked, turning to her son. "Someone's stalking you?"

"No, Mum, Fizzy's joking," Louis sent her a 'keep your mouth shut' glare. "He's a mate of mine."

"As long as you're sure." Jay idly spoke, holding out the coat in Louis' direction. "I just found it in your room and wondered, that's all." She walked back off into the living room, leaving Felicite and Louis alone.

"A mate. Bullshit." Felicite snapped.

"I wasn't going to worry her and tell her!" Louis exclaimed in whisper. 

"The only reason you don't want to tell her is because you don't want to admit that it's your fault. That you got into his car. Do you?"

"It's not that! Just stay out of it now, okay? I wish I never even told you to begin with!"

And with that, Louis shoved past her and went up the stairs, with Harry's coat in hand.

Why couldn't have Harry came into Louis' life in a more normal way? It'd all be so perfect. Harry seemed like Louis' dream guy (aside from the weird mood swings and violent tenancies). Louis still needed to learn more. Harry was a closed book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, leave any mini things you'd like to see happen :)


	16. Chapter 16

"What's this shit?" Niall snapped, after he and his friends all found a piece of paper taped to each of their lockers - alongside every other locker along the corridor - at lunchtime on Friday afternoon. Other students were reading their pieces of paper with curiosity. Niall ripped his off his locker door so he could scan his eyes over it, as did Louis and Liam.

"Party invitations," Louis rolled his eyes, screwing his up into a ball, aiming for a nearby bin and successfully getting it in. "My interest has been lost already."

"Why?" Liam quizzed, eyes still reading his own. "It actually sounds really fun."

"Never thought I'd hear Liam Payne saying a party sounds fun!" Niall ridiculed, his invitation joining Louis' in the bin.

"What's that supposed to mean? I think I'd enjoy a party like this!" Liam argued, holding up the paper, which his friends had barely even bothered to read themselves, so they could have another read.

It was titled "MY PARTY!" and was described as having a "neon fancy dress theme". In other words, anyone going had to wear something neon. When Louis read to the end, he sighed. It was Eleanor's party. It was almost inevitable that she'd question Louis on whether he was going or not beforehand.

"Look, Louis, it's Eleanor's party," Niall teased, "She's probably hoping you'll turn up naked but with just a neon bracelet on, or something."

"Fuck off, Niall," Louis defeatedly laughed.

"Should we all go? It'll be a laugh!" Liam grinned. "We should get out to things like this. It does say everyone at school's invited."

"When is it?" Niall questioned.

"Says it's tonight," Louis creased his eyebrows together in confusion. "I know it's Friday, but it's a bit short notice."

"She's keen to have you at her house," Niall smirked, "She probably won't be able to keep her hands off you, mate."

Liam folded his invitation up and slotted it into his back pocket, as he and his friends all started the stroll towards the canteen. When they walked inside, Louis sighed to see that the only table with three available seats was the one which Eleanor and her friends occupied.

"Look! Best seat in the house, Louis!"

"Seriously, Niall, shut the fuck up now!" Louis snarled. They all approached the table. Eleanor's eyes literally lit up when she spotted Louis, and she tried her best attempt at a flirtatious smile and wave towards him. Louis, Liam and Niall took a seat, noticing how Eleanor and her friends had entered flirting mode - fluttering their eyelashes and playing with their hair.

"Hey, guys!" Eleanor's loudest and most slutty friend, Mary, squealed, chewing on her gum as her eyes diverted between the three males. "Are you all going to El's party tonight?"

Eleanor's hopeful eyes were on Louis, waiting for his response.

"We are, yeah," Niall spoke for the three of them, "Course we are!" He knew Louis wasn't going to protest in front of Eleanor. That's how much of a twat he truly was.

"Brilliant!" Eleanor beamed. "That's great!" She didn't care less whether or not Liam or Niall turned up - that was obvious. She only cared about Louis.

"Oh my God, I know! Let's all play Would You Rather!" Jess, one of Eleanor's other friends, excitedly declared.

"Why?" Louis sighed, showing all over his face that he didn’t even want to be sat at the table in the first place.

"It'll be fun!" Niall grinned. Trust him to do that, it was like he was on Eleanor's side. 

"I'll go first." A girl called Hannah said. "Eleanor, would you rather stab Louis in the face or eat a pile of dog shit?" 

"Eat a pile of dog shit." She immediately responded. Louis honestly could've gagged. He was looking elsewhere in the canteen, trying to show that he was not one big interested in being involved in this infantile game.

He blanked out their little game, in his dream world as they all fired questions at each other. He only looked up when Niall included him.

"Lou, would you rather sleep with Eleanor... or Harry Styles?"

A gasp chorused around the table. Everyone had obviously seen Harry's comments on Louis' photos; especially the one where he told Eleanor that Louis was his.

Louis felt his stomach turn. It was an easy pick, obviously, seeing as he liked boys over girls, but he didn't quite know what to say as everyone peered at him and awaited.

"Umm..." He glanced at Eleanor, who was smirking at him.

"Come on, Louis, it's hardly difficult!" Mary hurried him.

"You're right, it's not." Louis smiled.

Eleanor's face exploded into a bright grin, expecting her name to be the next thing Louis said...

"Harry."

The entire table gaped at him, no one quite knowing how to react.

"Umm, I'm gonna go buy a drink." Louis resolved the awkwardness by standing up and walking away from the table, without even looking back, going to join the back of the queue.

\- - -

Harry: Hello Louis .xx

Louis didn't see the text from Harry until 4 o'clock: an hour later than when Harry had sent it. He felt quite bad about it but quickly replied anyway.

Louis: Hi Harry !

Harry: Why haven't you been replying? .xx

Louis: I had school. Only just got home. I'm sorry !

Harry: Okay. Well I was just wondering whether you wanted to come round today? I know you only did two days ago but I miss your company .xx

Louis probably would have agreed to, if he didn't have Eleanor's stupid party to go to. Even after completely dissing Eleanor at lunch by picking Harry over her, she was still all over him and was ecstatic about him attending her party. It was like she just couldn't process that Louis didn't like her.

Louis: I would do but I'm busy today :( Sorry

Harry: Busy doing what? Where are you going? .xx

Was it really any of Harry's business? He seemed like the sort of party-goer, so what if he tried to invite himself? That'd be awful, especially as it was Eleanor's party. Louis made up an excuse.

Louis: I'm going to my grandmother's house with my family.

Harry: Well okay, sorry I asked .xx

Louis couldn't tell whether there was a snappy sort of tone in that text because there were kisses too.

Louis: Maybe another day?

Harry: Yeah, maybe. I'm busy most of the day tomorrow but I can do late afternoon-ish? If you're not busy then too .xx

Louis was usually busy on Saturdays, meeting up with Liam and Niall, but he was actually free this Saturday. That was probably for the best, seeing as Harry would get pissed off if not.

Louis: I can do tomorrow ! What time? I'll drive. (You might need to remind me of the flat number though)

Harry: My forgetful Louis ;) .xx

"My"?

Harry: Is tomorrow at 4 okay? (It's flat 128) .xx

Louis: That's fine thanks. What are we gonna do though?

Harry: Well we could get to know each other a bit more? I kinda trust you a bit more now, so .xx

He trusted him more. What was there in Harry's life that required someone's trust to tell?

Louis: Okay

Harry: Do you trust me too? .xx

Louis had to tell the truth. He wanted to trust Harry fully but he didn't just yet, especially not after the Zayn texts.

Louis: Not 100% sure yet

Harry: Understandable. I'll see you tomorrow, I've gotta go out now .xx

Look who was busy now! And he didn't have Louis questioning where he was going and why. This was because Louis wasn't demanding and... possessive.

Louis: Okay, see you tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are gonna have a bit of a surprise if you think the Zayn text situation is something mild, let's just say that o.o Not sure whether to change my ideas or not, they might be a bit full on if you guys aren't expecting them.


	17. Chapter 17

Niall: Lou, will u be ready to pick us up by 8??

Louis didn't want to be ready by eight o'clock, because he didn't actually want to attend this bloody party to begin with. It was half past six and he hadn't even found an appropriate outfit of a neon colouring. It was starting to stress him out, trying to both pick out an outfit and reply to Niall. Clothes were all over his floor after he had frantically thrown them out of his wardrobe, creating a mountain all over his once tidy carpet.

Louis: I'd be ready for 8 if I actually knew what to fucking wear ! This is taking the piss, seriously

Niall: I found an old glow in the dark t-shirt I'm gonna wear. Just wear a few glowstick bracelets or something?? I'm sure Eleanor won't care as long as you actually turn up

That was true. Louis was sure Daisy or Phoebe probably had some glowsticks that he could borrow for the night.

Louis: Good idea ! Cheers mate

Niall: I also found some neon face paint!! ;) we could put some of that on if you want before we go in

Louis: cool cool. See you at 8 !

\- - -

Louis found a few glowsticks, five to be exact, that he bent into bracelets and put on. He went with a simple burgundy t-shirt and skinny jeans, figuring that along with the facepaint would be decent enough to fit the 'fancy dress' agenda that Eleanor was looking for.

The party itself had started at seven o'clock, however Louis and his friends had decided to show up fashionably late: an hour late.

Louis picked up his two mates on the way. Niall, as promised, wore a bright yellow t-shirt, and was equipped with a pack of facepaint. Liam wore his bright blue trousers, a florescent pink snapback and a white t-shirt. They both looked good, actually.

"When are we putting that stupid facepaint on, then?" Louis laughed, as he drove to the address on the invitation that Liam had maturely kept.

"When we're parked there, we'll put it on before we go in." Niall informed, checking his face in the mirror of Louis' car. Louis nodded.

His phone's text notification went off while he was driving. Normally he'd get Niall or Liam to check it for him and read it, however he couldn't risk that with the possibility of it being Harry.

"Want me to check that, bud?" Niall queried.

"Nah, it's okay. It'll just be my Mum." Louis lied. Well, it was a half-lie because it **might** have been his Mum. Probably not, though.

They arrived at the house, parking the opposite side of the road. Eleanor was, simply put, in a very wealthy family. Her Dad worked for the management of a highly successful band so he got a lot of money out of that, meaning the Calder family had a very large house. The sheer amount of money they had as a family explained why Eleanor was allowed to have a random house party, for fun, in which she provided all the food and drink.

The house's windows were flashing from the inside at the indoor strobe lighting and the sound of bass already audible made Louis both dread going in and feel sympathetic towards the neighbours.

"Lou, I'll do your facepaint," Niall said, opening up the pallet.

"Don't draw any dicks," Louis warned, and Niall contagiously laughed. Louis took the keys out his car and faced Niall more in his seat, shutting his eyes. He felt the cold impact on his face as Niall gently dabbed on the facepaint. After a minute, he was done.

"Actually looks good." Liam complimented from the back seat. Louis checked for himself in the sun visor mirror. Niall had dotted a row of yellow and pink splodges above Louis' left, and another row beneath his right.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=2w4brqs)

"It's alright, I guess." He smirked.

Louis did Liam's facepaint not so artistically, deciding to just smear different colours on his cheeks and forehead. Liam did Niall's by painting circles around his eyes as glasses, so Louis had to say his was the best compared to the state his mates were in. They decided they'd save Eleanor the grief of worrying Louis wouldn't turn up, getting out of Louis' car and strolling towards the house.

"Louis, if you feel as though Eleanor is hinting anything you don't like, call for my help." Niall joked. Louis elbowed him before opening up the front door. The house was jammed full of overdressed people, looking like absolute idiots in all sorts of neon attire. Most of them looked so ridiculous that it put Niall and Liam's scrappy facepaint in the shade.

The music was already overbearingly loud, instantly close to bursting Louis' eardrums. This was not his sort of setting, that was for sure.

"LOUIS!" Eleanor's voice came squealing from somewhere in amongst the crowd. Louis shut his eyes for a moment, mentally preparing for this. He was cased in a hug from the clingy girl, who was dressed in a neon pink, overly short dress and covered in glowsticks. "You look so cute, look at you!"

She was probably expecting a compliment back, but Louis only gave her a: "Cheers, love."

"Come through! We're all in the kitchen!" Eleanor yelled over the music. Clearly everyone wasn't in the kitchen because the house was crammed full as it was. Louis wanted to break off from Eleanor and go to another room but he knew she'd soon hunt him down.

Eleanor was leading Louis through the house by his hand, holding tightly on. Louis glanced back at his two friends with a 'please-don't-hesitate-to-help-me' face but they didn't, continuing to follow anyway.

They arrived in Eleanor's marble-floored kitchen, where a few already unsteady party-goers were leaning against the counters and tipping back even more cans and bottles. It was a bit quieter in there, which was an improvement, however Eleanor's presence wasn't.

"D'you want a beer, you three?" Eleanor sang, finally including Liam and Niall too.

"Go on, then," Louis gave in, taking the beer can from her hand as she passed them out of the fridge. Eleanor was swaying to the fainter music, clearly trying to look seductive, but it wasn't exactly working on her part. It made Louis want to look away even more.

Louis jumped up onto the free space on the counter, idly swinging his feet with his beer in his hand. Niall and Liam looked awkward as ever, sipping on their beers and glancing around, but Louis knew they'd lighten up soon.

Eleanor stepped forwards and positioned herself in front of Louis, between his legs, but facing away. She grabbed his arms and wrapped them around herself.

Louis proceeded to pull his arms away, getting them out of her grip. It was clear that Eleanor was already tipsy because she was never so straightforward at school.

\- - -

The party got a bit more lively around the ten o'clock mark. Louis had only consumed the one beer he initially got upon arrival, but that didn't mean he refused to have a dance with Liam and Niall, for a laugh. Eleanor was all over Louis, clearly using this party as a way to get closer to him, however Louis tried his best to drift away. While Liam and Niall were busy dancing, Louis decided to break off and go into the garden, where it was much quieter, because his phone and continued to go off and buzz in his pocket so he was curious.

He perched himself on the edge of a low garden wall in the garden, pulling out his phone and checking it. There were nine texts from Harry in total. NINE. Each text had quite a long period of time between them.

Harry: Hope you have a nice time with your family :) .xx

Harry: Lou, this guy at the shop just walked into a glass door! You should've been there to see it, I'm pissing myself!!! .xx

Louis smiled to himself at how easily pleased Harry sounded.

Harry: I'm booored. Talk to meee .xx

Harry: Looooooouis!!! .xx

Harry: p l e a s e .xx

Harry: Are you ignoring me? .xx

Harry: Please don't say you are .xx

Harry: Did I do something wrong? .xx

Harry: SERIOUSLY, REPLY!!!!!!

That was the final text, which had been sent just fifteen minutes ago. Louis wanted to reply but he knew Harry would start an entire conversation and he utterly could not be bothered right now. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, sighing to himself and inhaling the fresh night air. It was nice to be alone for a while, just to have a bit of peace and quiet...

Well, Louis thought he was alone until he heard Eleanor's voice behind him.

"Lou, why're you out here all alone?" She giggled, sitting right by his side on the wall. He didn't get that happy feeling in his stomach when she sat this close, nothing like when Harry did.

"Just needed some alone time," Louis hinted, but tipsy Eleanor didn't take that hint.

"You don't mind little ol' me joining, do you?" She smirked.

"Course not." Louis sighed. "Course I don't."

"Thanks." Eleanor smiled. "Hey, can I let you in on a little secret?"

Louis turned to her. "What?"

"Your neck looks really kissable, has done all evening."

Louis wanted to gag, he really did. The thought of a girl kissing his neck was not something he thought he could stomach.

"Oh."

With a little giggle, Eleanor climbed onto his lap so she was facing him, a leg either side of his. She nuzzled her face into his neck.

"Eleanor, I'm not sure I-"

"Shhh," She hushed, "Be quiet."

And then her lips were on the right side of Louis' neck. He sacked in a harsh breath. No, she wasn't just leaving little kisses on his neck, she seemed keen to leave a mark.

"Eleanor, stop..." Louis muttered. She didn't, continuing to suck on the spot. "Seriously, stop!"

She giggled when she had finished, standing up and admiring the new mark in the moonlight.

"Amazing," She complimented, with a smug smile. "Give that a couple hours and it'll be pretty visible."

Louis looked dumbfounded, honestly not knowing what to say. Why would she just do something like that? It was pretty out of hand.

"Eleanor, why did you do that?" He snapped. "Why?"

"Because I like you!" There was an audible slur to her tone now.

"Well I like boys! I don't know why you haven't understood that yet, but it's true!"

Eleanor wasn't listening. She had waddled off back into the house, leaving Louis dabbing at his neck with the back of his hand, feeling even more of a reason to dislike that girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry those of you who don't like reading Elounor stuff (I hate writing it, personally) but let's just say that lovebite MIIIGHT be there tomorrow ;)  
> *cough* Louis is going to Harry's house tomorrow *cough*
> 
> Larry-ness WILL be in the next chapter ♥
> 
> *unedited* - sorry


	18. Chapter 18

Louis absolutely **hated** himself for not pushing Eleanor away, instead just facing the fact that she was sucking a love bite onto his neck. After it had happened, he stormed back into the house and forced Liam and Niall to leave with him. They saw the fresh mark on his neck and the angry expression in his face, knowing not to ask anything of it.

As soon as he was in his bedroom and had fallen back onto his bed, he pulled out his phone and replied to Harry - having felt bad for not doing so earlier.

Louis: I wasn't ignoring you, I promise! I've only just looked at my phone

Harry: Thank fuck :) Did you have a nice time with your family? .xx

Louis felt bad for lying to Harry. He just seemed so possessive, almost, over what Louis did, and that gave Louis the urge to lie about where he had been.

Louis: I did, thanks.

Harry: That's great. Are you still coming round tomorrow, yeah? .xx

Louis: Of course (:

Harry: Cool. I don't know what we're gonna do yet, we'll figure something out when you're here, haha .xx

That was true, actually. They didn't really do much last time, besides have a drink, a little singsong and... a touch - on Harry's behalf. What was there to do? Aside from asking questions again or watching the television in an awkward silence.

As Louis usually did with scenarios, he was just planning on turning out and seeing what happened.

\- - -

Louis woke up at around midday that next morning, having not gotten to sleep until around 2AM the previous night. While he was washing his hands in the bathroom sink, he glanced in the mirror and his heart started beating faster. The mark on the side of his neck was now a purplish tone, very much standing out. Stupid Eleanor with her stupid love bites.

He knew, he just **knew** Harry would comment on it later. It was practically inevitable. And anyway, no one gets a love bite while "visiting their grandmother's house", it was blatantly now that he had lied.

He had no past experience with love bites so he was clueless as to whether it'd take a while to go away or not. It probably would, knowing his luck.

\- - -

Louis knocked at Harry's door at three minutes to four. Harry had insisted Louis to "Just come in when you get here, I don't mind" but he felt way too rude and intrusive doing this. His hand was awkwardly rested against his neck, hiding the mark but just pretending to be playing with his earlobe. Harry answered the door in his black skinny jeans and tight black t-shirt, which both complimented his slim, toned body.

"Hey, Louis," He smiled. "You didn't want to just walk in, then?"

"No, felt too awkward to." Louis admitted, flashing a little smile. Harry nodded with a smirk.

"Come in, Mr Tomlinson." Harry chuckled, opening the door and letting him inside. Louis entered the house slightly less awkwardly than the first time, sliding off his Vans by the door. He had exposed his neck but Harry was too busy wandering in the living room, telling Louis to follow. They both took a seat on the sofa, giving each other some space.

"What should we do? We could just chat? Watch a film? I don't mi-" Harry's suggestion trailed off when his eyes found the love bite. He. Was. Looking. At. The. Love. Bite. "-mind." He finished his sentence, eyes leaving the mark. That was strange.

"Neither do I," Louis nervously shrugged. Harry was clearly trying not to look at the love bite, probably showing that he didn't care. Louis knew he did; he knew Harry would question it at some stage. "D'you have Love Actually? You said you like that, why don't we watch it?" Louis quickly suggested.

"Fine, yeah," Harry smiled. "Right after you tell me who that love bite is from."

Boom - there it was. That didn't take too long, as Louis predicted.

He was pretty lost for words. He hadn't thought up a plan, whatever that may have been, or an excuse. He just stared at Harry with slightly wide eyes and a fast-beating heart.

"Umm, I-"

"Just give me a name. I don't care if you lied where you were last night, I just want a name."

"E-Eleanor." Louis muttered. Harry slowly nodded, playing with his hands in his lap.

"Eleanor," He repeated to himself, "She's some pretty tough competition, huh?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Do you like her?" Harry pushed.

"No, I don't. I like boys, I-I don't like her, Harry." This was pretty ridiculous. Harry and Louis were no more than friends, yet he was being so **possessive** over Louis. It was baffling.

"Okay," Harry quickly put on a smile. "Sorry for questioning you."

Louis furrowed his eyebrows, slowly nodding. There was a thick cloud of tension in the room now that Louis wanted to destroy.

"Oh, if you want to watch a film, we'll have to watch it on the TV in my room 'cos there's no DVD player in here." Harry suddenly informed. It was true, Harry only had a Sky TV box on the stand beneath his television.

"Th-That's okay," Louis lied. It wasn't okay, he was practically shitting himself.

They got up again and Harry led them to a door at the back of the living room. It led to a spacious bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows running across the left wall, with a wardrobe in the corner, a large bed in the centre of the room against the wall straight ahead, and a door to what must have been an ensuite bathroom on the right. Harry had a really nice place, it was a wonder how he actually afforded it.

The flat screen TV, the second one in Harry's house, was on a stand in front of the bed. No sofa. Just a bed. Just a bed. Just a bed.

"Really nice room," Louis commented with a smile, trying not to be phased by the lack of anywhere else to sit.

"Cheers. If you don't feel comfortable sitting on the bed, I could try and pull the sofa in here... somehow?" Harry suggested, thumb pointing back into the living room to gesture to it.

"No, no, that's fine. Don't worry about it." Louis waved a hand. He wanted to save Harry the stress of it, just for one damn movie. 

He perched himself on the edge of the comfortable and tidily made bed while Harry wandered over to a shelf that had DVDs lined along it, running his finger along the spines of them. He pulled out love actually and threw it at Louis, so it hit his shoulder, before stifling a laugh.

"Yeah, cheers for that!" Louis joked, with a giggle. Harry drew the curtains of the windows closed before he walked back over and took the DVD again, turning on the TV and inserting the disc into the DVD player.

"Are you comfy enough?" He asked over his shoulder, seeing how Louis had positioned himself against the headboard and was cross-legged with his hands in his lap.

"Yeah," He smiled.

"I've seen this more times than I've seen the bloody sun, so don't blame me if I get bored." Harry laughed, starting the film and climbing next to Louis on the bed. Harry sat right by Louis' side, sitting with this long legs in front of him with his left knee bent slightly. Louis sort of had a thing for Harry's legs - don't ask.

The film started and Louis was already wondering why he had suggested it. It was Harry's favourite but Louis wasn't a huge fan of romance movies.

Ten minutes in, Louis was admittedly enjoying it. What he enjoyed more than the film itself was Harry's gorgeous laugh during the funny parts, but that was besides the point...

They only had to get a quarter of the way through before they had both become bored. Harry kept on impatiently sighing, as if non-verbally saying "I'm tired of this now".

"We can turn it off if you're bored," Louis insisted, "I honestly don't mind."

"Nah, you keep watching it."

"Turn it off," Louis commanded, "You're bored and it's unfair on you."

"If you insist." Harry chuckled, reaching forwards off the bed to switch off the television. He sighed and turned back to Louis, looking over his face briefly before eyeing up the love bite again. He was definitely still bothered.

"That's starting to bother me now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Harry stated. "Kind of is."

"Well... I'm sorry."

There was a brief silence. Harry was still looking at the mark, then his head tilted to the side as he thought.

"Can I... just do something quickly?" He queried, slowly.

"Depends what it is."

"Just wondered whether I could add to that a little."

Okay, now Louis' pulse had thickened and he gulped. It was bad enough having one, yet Harry wanted to add more. He obviously wanted to be the latest person to mark Louis, just to "claim him".

"I don't know about that." Louis shrugged, with a shy smile. Harry had that smirk growing on his face, the one that showed he was planning on doing or saying something inappropriate.

"Pleeease?" He whined, playfully. He shifted closer, all while Louis scooted back nervously. "Louis, seriously, please?"

Harry continued to move towards Louis, while he moved backwards, meaning eventually the smaller boy was lying on his back and Harry was right above him, holding the weight off of him with his hands. Louis felt like he couldn't breathe, having Harry so, so close. There was a quiet as they remained almost nose-to-nose, staring deep into each other's eyes.

"Please?" Harry barely even whispered, with a smug smile. Louis couldn't stop himself from smiling too at Harry's playfulness. Then Harry's mind seemed focused on something else, other than the concept of giving Louis a love bite: staring at Louis' lips.

Oh God, Louis felt like he'd never get his breath back and he'd die here tonight, beneath Harry fucking Styles. His eyes just looked so bright and pretty up close, long, dark lashes lining them, and then Louis' own eyes were closing and Harry's too.

Harry closed the small proximity between their lips with a kiss. Just one quick, simple kiss, before they looked into each other's eyes again. It wasn't enough for either of them. Their lips met again, this time in a messy, passionate kiss that seemed to have been long awaited. Harry's plump lips felt so soft against Louis' and his mouth tasted like mint, as he expertly swiped his tongue into Louis' mouth to deepen the kiss.

Louis rested a hand on Harry's hip, sliding it under his t-shirt to glide it over the soft skin, while Harry's hand found its way into Louis' hair.

They finally pulled apart, all heavy panting and glossy lips, and now Harry took that opportunity to kiss his way along Louis' jawline and beneath his chin, leaving hot kisses on every available patch of tanned skin. He chose to start sucking on the skin between Louis' jaw and neck, causing Louis' eyes to flutter closed.

It felt so much nicer with Harry's lips. He knew exactly what he was doing, sucking and nibbling on the skin as Louis released a quiet whimper that he had tried so hard to restrain.

But Harry wasn't done there, he left one more love bite on Louis' collar bone, meaning Louis now had three marks on his neck area - two being fresh.

"Much better," Harry breathed, before pressing a kiss to Louis' jaw. Louis loved how the new marks pulsed as the blood had rushed to the skin. He was wide-eyed, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Not only had Harry given him two love bites, but they had also **kissed**. Louis was not expecting that.

Harry climbed off of Louis' admiring the marks in a different light, and he smirked to himself.

"Beautiful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KWODNOS sorry I got a bit excited. Maybe a bit carried away, I don't know.
> 
> There are probably and shitload of mistakes because I didn't go through it! Sorry if there are. Hope you enjoyed (the next chapter is still in Harry's house, just showing what happens afterwards)♥


	19. Chapter 19

Louis and Harry ended up falling asleep on Harry's bed not too long after their kiss. Louis hadn't even remembered doing so, but the soft scent of Harry's aftershave on the sheets and his warm body against Louis' sent him to sleep.

What made Louis shoot awake was the sound of thudding, coming from the front door of Harry's apartment. Louis sleepily groaned, turning over and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. He squinted over at Harry, who was fast asleep on his back. His eyelashes were rested against his cheeks, plump lips slightly parted, and he looked utterly adorable.

Louis wanted to ignore the knocking, so he didn't have to wake Harry, but the thudding only seemed to get angrier.

"Harry," Louis whispered, placing a hand on his chest and lightly shaking him. "Harry, wake up."

A deep noise came from the back of Harry's throat, one that caused a shiver to run through Louis. Whatever Harry did was hot.

His eyes slowly peeled open, adjusting and landing on Louis. He softly smiled, but when he became aware of the knocking too, he quickly sat up and stood up. He looked like he could collapse due to being so tired but he gestured for Louis to follow, back into the living room. Louis stood and stretched before doing so.

"Just sit on the sofa a sec," Harry's voice was so deep with sleep that it cause Louis' stomach to flip in arousal. "Won't be a minute."

He wasn't phased by the livid knocking, suggesting it happened quite frequently or he knew who it was. Louis glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was 11 o'clock at night.

He heard the sound of the door opening, curiously turning on the sofa to try and see who it was.

"Jesus Christ, Harry, just leave me outside for fucking months, then," Came a stressed out male voice. It was Zayn, who strolled into the living room with his messy quiff and baggy clothes. His eyes landed on Louis, and he stopped in his tracks. Louis felt like the definition of awkward.

"Yeah, umm, I've got company." Harry muttered from the hallway, strolling back in while itching the back of his neck. Zayn flashed Louis a friendly smile.

"I won't ask about those love bites," He laughed. "Warming up to Hazza now, Louis?"

Yeah, Zayn knew Louis' name. But then again, Louis knew Zayn's too.

Zayn had casually gone back into the hallway and then the kitchen, continuing to talk from in there after Louis didn't reply. "Good to know, actually." Zayn was obviously very comfortable in Harry's house, as Louis could hear him looking in Harry's fridge.

"Sorry." Harry mimed to Louis, playfully rolling his eyes and nudging his head towards the kitchen. Louis gave a smile to say it was okay. Harry took a seat by Louis on the sofa, stretching an arm across the back of the sofa behind him. Zayn came in a moment later with a can of beer, cracking it open and sitting in the leather armchair by the sofa.

He took a swig of the beverage before pointing at Louis, as if about to say something to him. Louis raised his eyebrows with an awkward laugh.

"Actually, no, don't worry." Zayn dismissed it, only making Louis curious as to what he was planning on saying.

"What were you gonna say?" He questioned.

"Doesn't matter now." Zayn waved a hand. Louis hated it when people did that.

"Okay." Louis piped, before covering his mouth with a yawn.

"Harry, have you... told him yet?" Zayn slowly asked. Louis turned to Harry, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Told Louis what?

Harry's eyes had turned darker as he glared at Zayn, who seemed used to Harry's death stare, continuing to sip at his drink.

"Zayn, shut up." He growled.

"Told me what?" Louis worried, head moving between Harry and Zayn.

"Nothing, Louis." Harry calmly added.

"It sort of is something, isn't it?" Zayn pushed, placing his beer can on the coffee table in front of him. "I wouldn't call it nothing."

Louis slightly shifted away from Harry on the sofa, apprehensive of what this "something" was. What wasn't Harry telling Louis?

"Zayn, I swear to fucking God, shut up!" Harry snapped, starting to lose his patience. Louis hated being between the arguing boys, but he was more concerned about what it was Zayn was urging Harry to share.

"You're worrying me," Louis breathed to Harry. Harry responsed by patting his knee.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal."

"If it's not a big deal, tell him," Zayn shrugged, "Go for it."

"I, umm..." Harry turned to Louis. "I... do boxing."

"That's not all, Harry. Don't fucking play this lightly. Tell him!"

"I need time to." Harry replied. "Louis, d-don't worry, it's okay."

"No, I can tell it's not," Louis whimpered, "What the hell are you not telling me?"

"See what you've done?!" Harry yelled at Zayn. "Why do always you have to do this?! I never get a chance!"

"Because if someone really cares about you, they'll look past it and love you anyway!" Zayn shouted back. How bad was this thing?

"Zayn, can you just go?" Harry asked, defeatedly.

"Mate, I've only been here five minutes-"

"I don't care. Go." Harry demanded, through gritted teeth. Zayn took his beer can, stood up, glanced at both Louis and Harry, before heading towards the door. He left with a slam of the door that practically shook the whole flat.

Harry's head was in his hands, and Louis was staring forwards in utter astonishment. This had all happened so quickly and Louis didn't know what the hell was going on. Scared was an understatement for him right now. But he could tell Harry was hurting over something.

"Harry?" He softly asked. He placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry slowly looked up. His eyes were brimming with tears. "Harry, don't cry!"

"I'm not," Harry snarled. He wiped away an obvious tear, "I don't cry."

"Don't feel forced to tell me whatever this is yet," Louis calmy assured, "It's clearly stressing you out."

"Sorry if you're worried," Harry whispered. "Zayn's just such a dick. He doesn't get how he can affect people, y'know?"

"It's probably not something too bad. He's probably just overexaggerating." Louis shrugged, with a warm smile.

"Overexaggerating," Harry humourlessly laughed. "He is **not** overexaggerating, believe me."

"I won't care what it is! As long as you're not some psycho murderer or something!" Louis laughed. Harry's eyes changed. He started shaking his head, slowly at first, whispering "no" a few times, over and over again. He fell to his knees on the floor, continuing to whisper it as he brought his hands to his head.

Louis was watching with wildly wide eyes, unable to believe what was happening. Harry began full-on crying, as the 'no's turned into yelling into his knees, and Louis didn't know what to do.

"H-Harry, what's wrong?" He fell to the floor next to him. "Harry!"

"Just go home," Harry cried.

"Harry, why are you doing this? What did I say wrong?"

"JUST GO!" Harry screamed. Louis jumped to his feet in pure terror. He obeyed Harry's command, rushing towards the front door. He slipped on his shoes by the door and left.

His heart was hammering against his ribcage, breath increasing as he rushed down the stairs of the apartment complex.

It all felt like a nightmare. Harry had changed so suddenly, so unstoppably, and Louis was terrified beyond belief. Harry wasn't a normal boy, that was for sure; something was going on. Louis just had to work out what...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> You've probably sort of maybe guessed what's going on... maybe...
> 
> Is it too much...?
> 
> I'm sorry if it is, I can change it...
> 
> ???


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Unedited*
> 
> I seriously need to go through and edit this story, haha

Louis didn't get a single trace of sleep that night; not a single wink. To say he was worried was the understatement of the century because anything that stopped him from doing his favourite thing (sleeping) must have been serious.

He spent Sunday morning analysing the situation, sat on his bed weary-eyed and clueless. It was nothing new seeing Harry change moods so rapidly but Louis had never seen Harry like that in person: literally falling in on himself and screaming into his knees. It was both terrifying and sad, seeing Harry so disconsolate.

Louis was struck with a feeling of disorientation once he identified what the had said right before Harry broke down: "As long as you're not some psycho murderer or something!"

Louis felt like he stopped breathing for a moment or two. What Harry had experienced in response to what Louis had said could be a sense of post-traumatic stress disorder, maybe? Was Harry remembering something in his past that involved murder?

Had Harry **killed** someone?

\- - -

Louis felt trapped. He had no idea what to do, whether to tell anybody. He hadn't exactly had clearance that he had guessed right, the unbelievable allegation that maybe Harry was a murderer, but it seemed so. Everything added up: Harry's streak of uncontrollable anger, the fact that Zayn was making a big deal out of the situation... and the Zayn's texts! Louis suddenly remembered, realising how the topic of blood could link to either murder or boxing -- a hobby of Harry's that he had informed Louis of.

Louis dreaded going to school on Monday. Not only did he have the stress of the situation with Harry, but he also had three very obvious love bites, diverted between his neck and upper collar bone. He said nothing to Niall and Liam as they got into the car. They were eyeing up the marks, very blatantly, but Louis kept his straight face and continued to drive.

"Didn't Eleanor only give you one mark?" Niall thought he'd be the one to question it. Louis should have expected the interrogation, really, but he thought of an eligible excuse.

"Nope, three," He flatly lied, "Did you not realise that?"

His friends remained silent. Louis just **knew** he was going to get the same questions fired at him from his classmates. And, by God, Louis was praying that Eleanor didn't ask who the other two love bites were from in front of Louis' mates.

\- - -

Louis had to contact Harry. That couldn't just be it between them because Louis knew there was something there, whether or not that was just a great friendship. Plus, he still had Harry's damn coat, which he kept on forgetting to return.

Louis: Harry, please tell me when you're ready to talk. Okay? :)

Harry: You actually still give a shit? Even though I acted like an absolute psychopath? .xx

Louis: I can tell you've got things going on. I won't judge how you deal with them because I have no idea how bad these things are.

Harry: You really are understanding. I've never met anyone like you, Louis .xx

Louis found himself smiling, but it was more of a sad smile. Harry had just openly admitted that he had previously just been surrounded by people who judge far too quickly.

Louis: I do my best to understand everyone, I guess. :)

Harry: So... did you sort of guess what I'm hiding...? .xx

Louis: Can we talk about this face-to-face sometime? I think we should just take this head on and discuss it a bit because I don't want to be making any assumptions over text.

Harry: Well I'm just going to say sorry now .xx

Louis: Don't apologise. I have no idea what's going on so I don't see a need for an apology.

Harry: I've got boxing practice now. (That's one thing you found out about me, I guess) I'll text you later maybe? .xx

Louis: Okay. Hope you have fun, Harry .xx

Harry: Thank you, perfect <3 .xx

Okay, Louis was smiling, but he knew not to get too attached. If what Harry was hiding was as dark as Louis had guessed, was he really the sort of person to be around? He already had a bad name to Louis' friends and family for stalking Louis, so this would be taking that about one hundred levels further. Louis' stupidly protective parents would probably move him to fucking Antarctica if they knew who he was mixing with. But Louis liked Harry. He always saw the best in people so Harry was just another of those. Even if he had ruthlessly ended a life, Louis wanted to be able to look past it. He wanted to accept Harry by knowing his story.

\- - -

With all of the murder allegations of Louis' head aside, he could think about how arousing it was that Harry did boxing. The thought of him wearing just shorts and boxing gloves, glistening in a light layer of sweat, made Louis' stomach tingle. He found it hot that Harry was powerful; tall, able and, in a way, dangerous. Louis liked that sense of danger.

Boxing just seemed like Harry's ideal sport because he had the necessary height and certainly strength for it. His strength had been showcased to Louis, on the night the latter was very nearly mugged and Harry slammed the gang member against the wall by his neck, which was when Louis sort of knew that Harry wasn't your usual, everyday guy. (Actually, he noticed that on the first day he ever met Harry, but that was besides the point).

Maybe the chapters of Harry's life story would be uncovered to Louis soon. He was still on the first chapter, with constant hints of what was going to happen later in the metaphorical novel, however it was still unseen. Louis needed to be the one to investigate because Harry surely wasn't easy to read.

And if Harry had killed, there had to be a reason; something that provoked him. Because no one like Harry would kill without a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know anymore what anyone thinks of this whole new side of Harry. Honestly, is it too far?
> 
> Harry wouldn't just kill for no reason, and Louis has to uncover what's happening.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my Goodness, I apologise so many times for taking so long to update! I have been so so busy but I'm back now, and a few people told me to update so... here you go.
> 
> Here is Harry's confession.
> 
> *Unedited*

It had been way too long. The suspense was practically eating Louis alive, and he was beginning to lose patience. He hadn't seen a single glimpse of Harry again since the night the latter broke down in tears. They had been exchanging a few texts, however Louis could certainly tell that Harry was acting more distant because he was giving shorter replies, evidently trying to avoid maintaining the close-knit bond that he had previously wanted with Louis.

Their latest conversation had merely consisted of Harry ranting about how Louis probably hated him and how they shouldn't be friends anymore. But no matter how much Louis wanted to just walk away and leave this mentally unreadable boy, he wasn't going to back down that easily. He needed to know what was really going on.

He wanted to construct a plan. He obviously couldn't just turn up at Harry's house without his acknowledgment because that would be both rude and intimidating. He didn't particularly want to ask Zayn for his help in getting Harry to a certain place and time so Louis could see him, because he had no idea how loyal Zayn really was.

Louis sat on his bed on an early Friday evening, scrolling through he and Harry's older phone conversations. He scrolled up right to the top, reading each and every text that they had exchanged. Some made him smile and laugh, others made him feel uneasy or, even, regretful of how he had acted. If only he had known what a rough patch Harry was going through, maybe he'd have been more considerate.

When he had read over their old conversations, he decided to get out his laptop and log into his Facebook. Even though he had a friend request and four notifications, he ignored them and instead proceeded to type Harry's name into the search bar. He hadn't been very active in posting recently, however there _was_ a post from just 25 minutes ago that got Louis thinking:

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=a4sti0)

Harry was going to boxing practice. That night. Inevitably. He was going to be there.

Louis was seriously considering turning up down there to look for him, but the only negative incentive to this was that he didn't know exactly which gym Harry trained at. He clicked on Harry's profile's likes, smirking to himself when he found that Harry liked the page of the sports centre where they had first ever seen each other. The sports centre where Louis lost his car keys and Harry gave him a lift home.

Perhaps Harry was returning from boxing training on the day he and Louis met. It all added up.

It was half past 9, so Louis supposed Harry would have arrived to start his session. There was no hesitancy in Louis' decision to drive there, he simply closed his laptop and left his bedroom. He told his parents that he was going to Niall's house, he slipped on his coat and shoes, and he left the house.

The drive there was easy for a cold Friday night, roads clear and traffic lights igniting his luck by mostly being on green throughout the journey. He parked in the car park, taking a deep breath once he spotted Harry's car parked at the opposite end. His plan worked, all thanks to Harry's oblivious nature when posting his whereabouts in his latest status.

He hopped out his car, shivering as he stepped into the icy night air, and wrapped his coat tighter around himself. He locked his car and headed into the main building. When he approached the reception, the same woman whom had returned his car keys to him was working. She clearly didn't recognise Louis, which he couldn't exactly blame her for, considering she probably saw close to a hundred new faces every day. It was a pretty popular sporting location in Doncaster.

"Hi, can I ask where your boxing takes place?" He questioned, not knowing how else to word it. He worried for a moment, feeling as though he should have possessed some form of boxing membership, but relaxed when the woman directed him to where it was located. He thanked her, heading into the complicated building. It was so easy to get lost in such a vast place, but luckily there were signs to direct Louis toward the boxing arena area.

He reached the double doors that separated him and the area he had been looking for; the area in which Harry was. He opened the doors and was immediately overwrought by the sheer amount of adrenaline in the room. There were a few boxing rings in the huge hall, most occupied by boxers having practice fights, but all Louis' eyes were drawn to was the boxing ring in the back left corner.

A topless Harry, covered in a light layer of sweat, was punching and hooking the focus pads that his instructor held. Louis slowly walked over until he was casually stood ringside, leaving on one hip and watching with a little smile as Harry beat the absolute shit out of those pads.

Louis was fascinated by just how powerful Harry's strikes were, how great his technique was. It was no wonder some people were slightly wary of him.

Harry had no idea whatsoever that Louis was present, in his own little world as he concentrated on training. It wasn't until his instructor insisted that they took a break before Harry acknowledged him.

He had slipped off his boxing gloves, dropping them to the floor or the ring, and turned to make immediate eye contact with Louis. Louis smiled, whereas Harry's eyes and mouth were wide open. He had completely frozen, keeping eye contact as he leant down to pick up his water bottle and take a long swig.

Still retaining the eye contact, Harry put his bottle down and jumped down from the ring, so he was stood by Louis' side.

"Hi." Louis greeted, trying to keep the atmosphere from becoming any more tense. Harry then let out a quick, breathy laugh, shaking his head lightly.

"Louis," He said, rather warily, "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Louis began, picking up a clean towel from the bench and handing it to him, "I just wanted to see you. I have for a while now."

Harry appreciately took the towel from Louis, dabbing at his forehead and around his neck. He hung the towel around his shoulders.

"But how did you know I was here?"

"You posted a status on Facebook."

"Ah. Well hello."

"Please don't act all awkward around me now, Harry. I want to be friends still, okay? I want you to talk to me and get anything off your chest."

"This is a bit of a bad time."

"I don't mean right now, obviously," Louis nervously chuckled, "But just... soon. I realised how much I appreciate you... as a friend."

"As a friend," Harry muttered under his breath, "Louis, you won't want to be my friend when I've spoken to you."

"Stop saying that! Look, when's your session finished?" Louis questioned, eyeing the large clock on the wall.

"Whenever I want it to be."

"Well, when do you want it to be?"

Harry heavily sighed, facing away for a minute to gesture something to his instructor. The man, who was a short man who looked to be in his forties, gave Harry a smile and a thumbs-up before heading away towards another boxing ring.

"Now."

"Now what?"

"My session's over now."

"Oh, okay. What now?"

"Follow me. I just have to grab my things from the changing room then you can come to my house with me."

Okay then, a bit short notice. Louis didn't want to protest, so he just nodded. Harry grabbed his boxing gloves and water bottle, allowing Louis to follow him towards the changing room. Louis hated how good Harry looked after exercising, hair slicked back, toned torso glistening and chest still heaving slightly. He hated it because it was too distracting.

Once in the changing room, which was empty aside from one man packing away his things, Harry carelessly slipped on a t-shirt and put his stuff into his gym bag, throwing it over his shoulder and gesturing for Louis to follow him out again.

"You'll have to wait in my living room while I have a shower, if that's okay." Harry mused, not making eye contact with Louis. "Did you bring your car?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay. I'll meet you at mine."

\- - -

Louis patiently waited on Harry's sofa, watching an episode of The Simpsons that he had seen far too many times, while Harry had a shower. Despite Louis' confident attitude when approaching Harry in the gym and stating that he still wanted to be friends, he was worrying like crazy while contemplating what Harry was going to say. Was he going to tell Louis anything tonight? It was hard to tell. Perhaps he'd get comfortable around him first.

About ten minutes later, Harry strolled into the living room with his hair towel-dryed and wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. He smelt fresh and Louis liked it. The fruity, clean smell sort of lightened up the situation a bit.

Louis switched off the television and turned to Harry on the sofa, sending a calming smile his way. Harry stared at him for a few seconds before returning a very weak smile.

"What have you got to say, Harry?" Louis calmly queried, leaving a space for Harry to say anything he needed to. "Whatever it is, you told Zayn. You opened up to someone, so let me be the next?"

"I've killed two men."

Louis made a sort of noise in the back of his throat that consisted of fear and surprise; a sort of whimper that was involuntary. He was speechless, not expecting Harry to say it so simply, to merely confess murder. _Murder_.

"Two?" Louis didn't mean for his voice to break while saying this but it did. He couldn't control how generally shocked he was, trying to remain calm and collected but failing miserably. He was sat in a murderer's house.

"Two." Harry confirmed, firmly. He was looking Louis right in the eye, jaw locked and eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Oh my God." Louis breathed, voice dipping as if about to break into tears. "Harry, I..." Louis' heart was beating at a thousand miles an hour and no coherent sentences could form in his head at this point.

"One was an accident." Harry informed. His voice stayed level throughout this. Louis stomach only dropped impossibly further. One was an accident, meaning one was not. One killing was intentional.

Louis shifted away ever so slightly on the sofa, instinctively. He was gripping onto the fabric of his t-shirt, a lump forming in his throat.

"H-Harry, when?" Louis barely whispered, fearful his voice would crack again. "When did you do it?"

Harry paused for a moment to take a deep breath, before shakily continuing.

"One when I was sixteen, one when I was seventeen."

That meant the last time Harry had killed someone was only a year ago. Harry was eighteen now. Louis still had no idea of how, why, _who_ , but he didn't know how to carry the conversation to explore that. Harry already seemed uncomfortable enough now, slowly running his hands up and down his legs, breathing steady but loud.

There was a silence, a silence that scrutinised Harry. A silence that made him feel as though he was being judged.

"I'm such a Damn let-down," Harry's voice cracked, "I'm so sorry, Louis."

"Harry, d-don't apologise! Look, I-I still don't even know why you did it! I'm sure you have a good reason, right?" Louis almost begged that Harry would have a good reason to have ended two people's lives. There _had_ to be a bloody reason.

"See, that's the part I don't usually get to tell anyone." Harry added, unstably. "They'd have called me a freak by now and ran away."

Louis felt absolutely awful. He immediately felt how desperate Harry must have been, and why he had been so reluctant to tell Louis. He didn't want to lose him.

"I'm here, I'm listening." Louis gently assured. "You can rant away, Harry. Tell me. Open up."

Harry's once steady breathing turned into light sobs as Louis awaited a response. A tear slid down his face, but Louis reached out and gently wiped away the tear. The soft touch surprised Harry.

"The first person I killed was a boxing opponent." Harry spoke, shakily. "That was an accident. I-I got too cocky, you know? Everyone was cheering me on and I kept on hitting him and hitting him and I didn't even realise he was unconscious," Harry wiped away another quick tear. "He had to be taken to hospital and treated, but... he died of blood loss. I hated myself for so long after that, Louis, you wouldn't even understand."

Louis stared at his lap as he took in the story. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Boxing is supposed to be violent, Harry. It's understandable. I'm sure there have been lots of incidents where it's happened."

Louis was trying to convince not only Harry that it was okay, but also himself. He wanted it all to be okay.

"I haven't told you who else I killed yet." Harry reminded, staring forwards into space. "That's worse. That's what will make you run, like everyone else does."

"Harry, just tell me. Please."

"He always abused me, he abused my sister, and he abused my Mum. He-" Harry trailed off as the tears came again, and Louis came to realise who Harry's second victim was: Harry's own father.

"-He took it too far, I would cry myself to sleep every night while listening to my Mum screaming next door." Harry cried. "I knew he'd take it even further one day, I knew he'd do something he'd regret to my Mum, and it just got too much for me and one night, I, I wrestled him to the ground and I just kept hitting him right here," Harry gently reached out and placed his index finger on Louis' temple. Louis didn't flinch at all.

"I kept hitting and there was BLOOD, SO MUCH BLOOD, LOUIS, BUT I COULDN'T STOP AND I KNEW HE WAS DEAD BUT I WOULDN'T STOP HITTING HIM!" Harry ended his sentence almost screaming in tears. Louis was crying too, although he hadn't noticed until now, shakily sobbing as he listened to Harry's explanation. "HE'S DEAD! I-I KILLED MY OWN DAD!"

"Harry, calm down, it's okay-"

"IT'S NOT OKAY! I'M A MURDERER, LOUIS!"

"HARRY, IT'S OKAY." Louis had to raise his own voice to silence Harry. The room was left with their shaky crying and unsteady breathing.

"Harry, look at me," Louis softly instructed, after a few moments of silence. "Please just look at me."

Harry slowly lifted his head, red and teary eyes meeting with Louis'. The sheer overwhelmed facial expression on the poor boy's face made Louis' heart hurt. Louis reached a shaky hand out and scooped up Harry's hand, gently stroking over the soft skin with his thumb.

"It's okay." He whispered. "It's okay." And then again. Harry's breathing started leveling out again as he stared into the calming blue of Louis' eyes.

"Louis, Zayn took four months to even come near me again," Harry breathed, in absolute disbelief. "Why are you so accepting? I don't understand."

"Because both times, you had a valid reason, Harry. Your Dad was abusing your entire family!"

"But my Mum and my sister don't even want to know me anymore," Harry muttered, voice hoarse. "They want me dead too."

"Then there must be something wrong with them, Harry, because you are perfect," Louis smiled. "You're funny, you're charming, you're charismatic... you're _you_."

Harry was speechless. His face broke out into an unstoppable smile, dimples prominent and eyes winning back their sparkle. The smile that Louis had so dearly missed had returned.


	22. Chapter 22

Louis didn't leave Harry's house. Harry kept reiterating that he could leave whenever he felt the need to, but Louis denied it and claimed that he didn't mind keeping him company for a while. There were still so many questions Louis wanted to grill Harry with, some pretty irrelevant. He was curious, that's all.

Harry seemed to have calmed down after a while, once they had properly settled down on the sofa with a drink. They had shifted away from the highly sensitive topic of Harry's past, instead talking about other aspects of their lives. Minimal chitchat was all it was, but Louis still wanted to ask his questions.

"I don't think this conversation is getting anywhere," Louis hinted suddenly, stopping Harry from talking about Zayn's problems with drinking. He barely knew Zayn so it was quite tiring to listen to.

"Am I boring you?" Harry truthfully asked, raising an eyebrow, voice stern.

"No, no, it's just... I'd like to keep the conversation about us. Maybe we could exchange questions or something? You know, just casual questions."

"There _are_ a few things I want to ask you, actually." Harry lightly chuckled. "So, yeah. Ask away."

Louis, with a face of bewilderment at what Harry's questions might be, thought up a mild starter question for Harry. "How many people have you been with? Recently, I mean."

"You're talking as though I'm a manwhore!" Harry laughed. Louis' heart raced at the wording he had used.

"No! Harry, I mean... how many people have you been in serious relationships with?"

"None." Harry shrugged. Louis furrowed his eyebrows.

"None? Of course you have, you're a good looking guy."

"Why thank you," Harry smirked, "But honestly, I have never been in a serious relationship. I've had stupid things that lasted a week, others that lasted a fucking night, but I've never commited myself to a serious one."

"Oh," Louis piped in interest. "Okay."

"What about you?" Harry very quickly asked. "Who have you been with?"

"Like you, sort of just childish things that lasted a week." Louis shrugged.

"Ever been fucked?"

"Woah, you're not holding back with the questions!" Louis exclaimed in surprise.

"I wanna know, come on. Are you a virgin?" Harry rephrased, sitting up more. Louis was a virgin. The most he had done was give another boy a blowjob, over a year ago, and it was wholly tragic. He had never engaged in actual sex, though.

"Okay, I'm a virgin, yeah." He blushed. He felt embarrassed, knowing for a fact that Harry was definitely not a virgin. He felt like Harry was going to mock him, even though it wasn't like him to do something like that.

"Nice, okay." Harry nodded, understandingly. 

"Nice?" Louis laughed. 

"You know what I mean. Well I'm _not_ a virgin. Anyway, moving on.  I think it's your turn."

"Hmm," Louis pretended he was thinking, however he was actually just contemplating asking why Harry wasn't in jail for killing two people. He figured he'd leave that question for later, seeing as the atmosphere had lightened up again. "Do you mind me asking about your sister?"

"Go for it, I don't mind."

"What's her name?"

"Gemma."

"Oh," Louis nodded. "How old is she?"

"She's 21 now. 22 soon."

"Okay, your go."

"Do your friends know that we've hung out?"

This question caught Louis off guard. He hadn't even thought about the fact that his friends didn't even know he had spent time with Harry, let alone been in his house! Harry was looking at Louis expectantly, waiting for an answer. It was obvious that he knew Louis' answer already.

"No," Louis responded, casually. "I don't see why they need to know."

"What have you told them about me? I bet they've only heard bad stuff, haven't they?"

"I-I said you were hot." Louis quickly resolved, telling the truth. He had told this to his friends, one of the first things they knew about him. 

Harry nodded and smirked. "Right answer. Your go."

"Right, uh..." Louis scratched the back of his neck as he thought. "Can I just ask why you're not in jail?"

Harry tensed slightly. Ever so slightly, not largely obvious, but just slightly. For a moment, Louis regretted asking it, but then Harry answered.

"Well, no one found out about my Dad. The boxing incident was dismissed."

Louis tried not to let his face fall too much. He didn't want to make Harry feel as though he was a bad person, although the police didn't even know about it. Harry had gotten away with murder.

"Oh, okay."

"I literally feel as though you're getting more and more... disgusted by me." Harry noted, quietly. Louis furrowed his eyebrows, quickly rushing to reply.

"N-No! Of course not!" Louis insisted. "You're just paranoid, Harry. Not everyone thinks you're different."

"Alright, okay. I'm paranoid. Do you have any more questions?"

Louis did, but he didn't want to load them all on Harry now. He had already had a stressful time that evening, so Louis thought of a backup question.

"Can I stay over tonight?"

Harry started laughing now, lightly. Louis knew why. He knew it was because Harry couldn't believe it.

"You really want to stay under the same roof as me? For a whole night?"

"Yes, Harry. I've spent time with you before, it's not like everything should change just because you've told me something extra about yourself." Louis reasoned, with a smile.

"Okay, you're definitely a godsend." Harry breathed. "Of course you can stay over."

\- - -

Of course Louis was a bit fucking wary. He was acting like the epitome of confidence on the outside because he wanted to assure Harry that it was okay, that somebody else cared about him. He was still trying to comprehend why he had chosen to stay round Harry's house, though.

"Umm, I don't really have anything to sleep in." Louis hinted, glancing down at his skinny jeans that he wore. Harry looked over from where he was sat on the edge of his bed, finishing off texting Zayn.

"Oh, uh," He diverted his gaze towards his chest of drawers before standing up and strolling over to them. He made a clicking noise with his tongue as he opened the top drawer, pulling out a large t-shirt. Well, it wasn't particularly large, it was just Harry had a larger build than Louis'. He chucked it over at Louis, so it hit his arm before falling onto the floor.

"There you go." He smirked. "Just wear that and your underwear?"

Louis thanked him, looking quite lost after picking up the t-shirt. He didn't want to just remove his t-shirt in front of Harry because he felt quite awkward doing so.

"I'll sleep on the sofa," Harry smiled.

"Just don't, Harry," Louis laughed, "I can share a bed."

"I sleep in my underwear, though."

Louis tried not to blush and instead nodded, telling Harry that it was alright. Harry watched Louis for a moment, as Louis shifted on his feet.

"I'll change in the bathroom," Harry concluded, taking the hint that Louis wanted his privacy. "Tell me when you're done, okay? Just get into bed when you're done."

"Yeah, okay."

Harry gave a nod and a smile, heading into the bathroom. Louis drew in a breath, removing his t-shirt and chucking it aside before slipping on Harry's. He unbuttoned his jeans, having to vigorously jump and kick his legs to get the tight bloody things off. He placed them with his t-shirt and then climbed into Harry's bed, which was cool, having been empty.

Louis pulled up the cover to his hips, sitting against the headboard. The cover was quite thin so Louis was glad Harry would be there too to warm him up. "I'm done, Harry." He called.

Harry left the bathroom a moment later in some sinfully tight black boxers. They were almost as tight as the muscle on his stomach. 

Louis was staring, yes.

Harry seemed to have noticed that Louis was openly staring around his crotch area.

"You're staring."

"Yeah, I am."

Harry chuckled to himself, walking over to Louis' messy pile of clothes, scooping them up before individually folding both pieces of clothing and placing them on his desk. Louis was still staring.

Harry stopped, crossing his arms and grinning at Louis.

"What?" Louis laughed. Harry's grin turned into a smirk. He shook his head, dismissing it as he got his phone and put it on charge. "No, tell me." Louis giggled.

"Louis," Harry chuckled, "Do you want me?"

Louis hated how easily he blushed. "Hmm, I dunno." He playfully shrugged. Harry bit his lip, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You said you're a virgin," Harry reiterated, "So I won't fuck you."

Louis was taken aback by the sudden seriousness of the situation. He felt a bit disappointed, admittedly, but relieved at the same time that he would have to completely expose himself. He was massively insecure about his body, he always had been.

"Okay."

"But do you want to feel good?"

Yes, Louis did. He had never received any pleasure from anybody else, he had only given. Louis nodded.

"But you don't want to show me your body... yet?" Harry put emphasis on the final word, hinting that the future may be a different story. Louis shyly agreed with what Harry had said.

"Okay," Harry thought to himself, "We'll keep covered for now, okay? But I have an idea."

Harry walked over to his wardrobe, opening it and grabbing a second duvet cover. Louis was wondering what his idea was because he couldn't work it out.

"Take your underwear off. And the t-shirt. I want you naked, but keep the blanket on."

Wow, okay.

Louis, quite hesitantly and shyly, slipped his underwear off, throwing them off the side of the bed. Followed by the t-shirt.

"Done," Louis stated, moving the covers up to cover his chest too.

"Alright," Harry smiled. He climbed onto the bed, making Louis' heart dip. They were so close and Louis was naked. It all happened too quickly.

Then Harry was in a press-up position over Louis, with the new blanket over himself. He reached down, and a moment later pulled out his underwear and threw them to the floor too. Okay, now Harry was naked and Louis was naked and just a sheet covered and separated them both.

Slowly, Harry lowered his body so it came into warm contact with Louis', through the thin cover. Their dicks immediately came into contact, causing Louis' breath to catch. This was a very good idea now.

"Okay?" Harry assured, referring to the face that their bodies were completely pressed together, aside from the sheet between them. Louis breathlessly nodded, tangling a hand into Harry's curls without thinking.

The first roll of Harry's hips into Louis caused the latter to gasp, lip catching between his teeth. Harry smirked at Louis' reaction, steadying the weight of his chest off of Louis by planting both his hands either side of Louis' head on the pillow. He grinded his hips down again, causing that flow of pleasure to reach the pit of Louis' stomach again.

Harry sped up the actions again, letting out a deep groan in the back of his throat that made Louis' stomach flip.

"Is this good enough?" Harry cockily whispered in Louis' ear, shooting a shiver down his spine. The fact that Harry had killed two men had gone completely down the drain now. Louis could only concentrate on how fast his dick was hardening against Harry's.

Harry's lips found Louis' neck as he sped the hip movements up. He kissed along Louis' jaw and down his neck, all while Louis moaned high in his throat. As Harry got harder, Louis could feel just how big his dick actually was. It definitely wasn't small, nor was it of an average size

Louis began thrusting his hips up lightly against Harry's, meeting the movements so they were both breathily moaning, foreheads now together.

"It feels so good," Harry lowly whispered, voice full of arousal. It was so hot, all gravelly and sexy, and Louis wanted him to keep talking like that.

Louis' only response was a whimper of approval, not even thinking twice before pulling Harry's head down so their lips met. Harry very happily obliged, kissing back with just as much enthusiasm as Louis.

Harry put a bit more weight against Louis', creating even more friction.

"Make me cum," Louis pleaded, against Harry's lips. "Come on, Harry, do it."

Harry willingly accepted the 'challenge', moving quicker against Louis. The pleasure was building up in Louis stomach, pre-cum lightly leaking from the tip of his dick. He could feel it. They were both gasping into each other's mouths, sensually moving their bodies together as both of them came closer and closer to an orgasm. It was all happening so quickly, Louis certainly didn't expect them to be doing this tonight.

And with a few last vigorous thrusts of Harry's hips into Louis', Louis was cumming, stomach tightening, eyes rolling back slightly, toes curling. Harry wasn't too far behind, spurred on by the stream of hot moans leaving Louis' mouth.

Harry groaned above Louis, body jerking forward slightly as he too released his load. They were left panting into the silence, staring into each other's eyes.

Louis didn't see a murderer when he looked into those eyes, he saw Harry. A boy who would remove his coat in the rain so Louis could wear it. A boy who would save Louis from getting mugged. A boy whose sense of humour diminish the otherwise terrifying persona...

_A boy who Louis was slowly falling in love with._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter, guys ;)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... surprise I guess? If anyone is still reading this anyway. It's shit really but just want to get active again on this story x

Louis didn't quite comprehend what had exactly happened until he was lying awake next to Harry the next morning, both of them wearing clothing on their bottom halves now but with naked torsos beneath the covers. Harry had given him his space once they got to cleaning up after last night's ordeal. He had slipped on his own underwear and left the room again to allow Louis to dress privately, sending a wink his way as he was doing it.

 _God,_ Harry was fucking hot, even when he was in his morning state. He was still fast asleep, facing Louis on the pillow. His hair was unruly and free on the pillow, with his long, dark eyelashes to his cheeks, plump lips slightly parted in rest. Louis found himself smiling at the scene. Harry looked so innocent, almost infantile, when he was asleep. Louis did feel some unrest. Those same hands that were pressed against the mattress last night to keep his weight off of Louis; the hands that brushed a strand of Louis’ hair from his eyes; the hands that caressed Louis’ skin so gently; they had killed. They had ended lives, yet all Louis was receiving was the gentle, intimate features of Harry Styles.

Louis rolled onto his back sleepily, stretching his hands above him towards the ceiling, which had a frame of morning sunlight imprinted on it from the windows in the room. He decided to swing his legs over the side of the bed and get up to use the toilet. He felt comfortable enough to get up in Harry's house alone. 

He quietly tapped across the laminate flooring of the room, bare feet touching the cold, marble flooring of the bathroom as he entered it. The bathroom was a bit messier than the rest of the house, with a razor, damp flannel and pair of small scissors in the sink, towel hanging half off the radiator, and a mixture of different shampoos and shower gels scattered all on the shelves of the shower. Louis used the toilet before flushing it, wincing at how loud the sound was. It was sure to have woken Harry up, but perhaps that was good because Louis would have someone to talk to now.

Louis washed his hands, looking over his reflection. He looked fucking tired, to say the least. He almost jumped when he saw the bathroom door open in the mirror's reflection, spotting a very tired Harry trudging in. His tiredness beat Louis’. Louis spun to see him properly. His eyes were still half shut, hair sticking up a bit at the top, and he gave a slow smile to Louis.

“Morning,” Came his deep morning voice, followed by a quick yawn.

“You look tired.” Louis noted, with a smile.

“Well, what can I say? You must have worn me out last night.” Harry still had enough energy to give Louis his signature smirk.

“That must be it,” Louis awkwardly laughed. “Thank you for last night, Harry. For making me…” Louis couldn't think of the right way to say ‘comfortable’ without sounding too soppy.

“For making you cum? Yeah, you came pretty hard.” Harry casually commented, causing Louis’ stomach to turn. 

“I was going to say for making me feel comfortable, but thanks for that too.” He interjected. 

“Any time, Louis.” Harry grabbed Louis gently on the arm and planted a kiss on his temple. _That's where he repeatedly struck his own father to kill him._

“What's wrong?” Harry suddenly queried. Louis froze. 

“Nothing - what?”

“You tensed when I touched you, Louis.”

“Oh, that's nothing, sorry. Caught me by surprise, that's all.”

Harry decided to drop it. 

\- - -

To Louis - From Niall: How are you doing Lou? Wanna meet up today??

Louis was sat in Harry's living room with the wrappers of a McDonald's meal on his lap when he received Niall's text. He was still in some tracksuit bottoms that Harry had leant him, although too big and kept almost slipping down to his ankles. Harry was too concentrated on watching an episode of Family Guy to intrude on Louis’ text conversation. 

To Niall - From Louis: I would Niall, but not really feeling up for it today. Got a bit of a stomach bug I think :/

That was a fucking lie, he just didn't want to tell them who he was really spending his time with. Niall practically replied immediately.

To Louis - From Niall: Ah shit !! Hope you feel better soon tommo. See you monday yeah

To Niall - From Louis: Thanks mate

“You're such a liar.” Harry chuckled. “But I'm glad that means you'd rather spend today with me.”

“Or maybe I'm just too lazy to leave,” Louis kidded, with a smirk. “Plus, you bought me McDonald's so I kind of have to stay now.”

“Cheeky prick.” Harry smiled. “So… they still don't know we are hanging out?” The smile dropped a little.

“Do they have to know? Can't it be our secret for now?”

“So they don't have to know you're hanging out with a fucking weirdo.” Harry muttered under his breath. “It's okay, I understand.”

“Stop putting yourself down, Harry! I don't care what they think of you.”

“Then could you at least mention it to them? It doesn't have to be immediately, I just want them to know that I'm not this unavoidable freak who's following you. That's all they know about me.”

“We will go and meet up with Niall and Liam today,” Louis suddenly blurted out, after being deep in thought. “I won't even tell them you're coming. We will just walk in together.” 

Harry's eyebrows were furrowed, eyeing Louis down with confusion in his eyes. “Are you… sure?”

“Yeah,” Louis confirmed, scooping his phone up again and opening his conversation with Niall. “That way they'll have no way out of it. They can sit there and we can all talk until they know you.”

Harry still looked quite bewildered. “Louis, I don't know if any of us will be comfortable with that.”

Louis ignored Harry for a moment and texted Niall back anyway. 

To Niall - From Louis: Maybe getting out would do me some good actually? Should we meet somewhere, with Liam?

“Looouis,” Harry drawled out, in protest. He was very uncomfortable with this, but Louis wanted him to meet and be comfortable around his friends, especially after the step Louis took with Harry last night. 

“It's okay, Harry, this will be good.”

To Louis - From Niall: Changed ur mind haha, why don't we meet in the smoothie place at 3?? I'm with Li already :)

“I don't like this.” Harry admitted, face contorted in discomfort. 

“Harry, trust me, I will try to reduce any awkwardness. It will be fine.”

\- - -

“I don't want to go in,” Harry complained, refusing to follow Louis into the smoothie shop.

“Come on, Harry!” Louis tried to convince him. “The most they'll do is be a little bit surprised. They'll get used to it.”

“But I'm so _weird_ to them, it's not nice for me.” Harry whined. It was weird seeing such little confidence in Harry, as he was usually the definition. This really was making him anxious. But it had to be done, the sooner the better. Louis took Harry's hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Harry, no matter what happens, I'm leaving today with you. If they're pissed off, if they make you feel anxious, if they fucking do anything to upset you, I will walk out with you. I care about you, you know?” He stared into Harry's eyes, which were gleaming. All he did was give a stern nod. “Will you come in with me, then?”

“Yeah.” Harry swallowed his nerves and walked behind Louis. The bell to the smoothie shop tolled as they entered, and almost _immediately_ Liam and Niall's faces dropped when they saw Harry awkwardly walking behind Louis. They didn't say a single word as Louis and harry slipped into the booth opposite them. 

“Hi.” Louis sternly greeted.

Both of his friends were staring Harry down. Louis felt so awful. He just wanted someone to say something - anything. 

“Hi, Harry.” Liam nonchalantly addressed him. “Didn't really expect to see you… with Louis.”

“Sorry if this is awkward,” Harry apologised. “Just don't want to be a stranger anymore.” He attempted a smile. Liam lightly reciprocated it, but Niall was still almost glaring at Harry.

“Are you okay, Niall?” Louis broke the tension, so his friend's eyes fell onto him instead. 

“I guess so, even though the guy who threatened me has randomly shown up with you.” Niall sassed, causing Louis to roll his eyes and Harry to quirk his mouth to the side in slight annoyance and look down at his hands, which were folded on the tabletop.

“I'm sorry about that.” Harry mumbled. “Want to start again.”

“Wait, just,” Liam held his hands out in confusion, eyes shut. “Lou, can you explain what's going on?”

“I'm friends with Harry now.”

Harry ever so quietly muttered ‘friends’ under his breath, for Louis’ ears only. 

Liam slowly nodded, whereas Niall still stared in Harry's direction. 

“Even though he stalked you?” Niall hissed. Harry's hand formed a fist on the tabletop, they all saw it. This wasn't exactly going as Louis had hoped.

“Niall, you don't understand,” Liam defended, surprisingly. “We don't know from their point of view. Have a bit more empathy, mate.”

“I'm not sitting here while one of my best mates bonds with a guy who threatened me. This is so fucked up, Louis!” Niall overreacted, grabbing his jacket. “I'm leaving.”

“What the fuck, Niall?” Louis exclaimed, raising his hands in annoyance.

“More like ‘what the fuck, Louis!’ Mate, you're only going to get yourself into trouble hanging out with this…” His eyes looked over Harry. “This _weirdo_.”

Harry suddenly rose from his seat, confrontationally, so Louis and Liam were quick on their feet to restrain him. Harry definitely would have knocked Niall down if it weren't for the two boys holding him back and the comforting words Louis whispered to him.

“See what I fucking mean?” Niall yelled, causing others in the smoothie shop to look up in interest and shock. “He's fucking crazy! He almost attacked me!”

“Just leave.” Harry begged, turning away from Niall and slipping back into the booth. “Before I do fucking hurt you.”

That was all it took for Niall to swiftly leave.


	24. Chapter 24

There was a thick silence in the car as Harry drove Louis home. Harry's right hand was tightly clasped on the wheel, his left on the gear stick, and his jaw was locked in both indignation and concentration. Louis occasionally glanced his way, but didn't look for too long because it just felt uncomfortable. It had been since they'd left Harry's house. Louis had no idea what to say, because he knew nothing could really extinguish Harry's anger towards Niall now.

"Harry, I'm so sorry." He managed. He heard Harry draw in a sharp breath in response, as though he was ready to fire back a snappy response, but instead he just made a sound in his throat which had no significance whatsoever - no input. 

"Are you going to say anything?" Louis pushed. He graced his fingertips over Harry's forearm, causing him to flinch slightly but not retract from the touch. This was Harry when he was pissed off. Louis could tell he didn't want to get angry because he didn't want to scare Louis, especially after what he confessed to not too long before.

" _I'm_ sorry." Harry responded, in a monotone voice. It surprised Louis, really, as Harry usually enjoyed playing the victim in situations.

"You shouldn't be, Harry, it's not fair how Niall treated you."

The car had pulled up to the usual park where Harry dropped Louis off, and Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and deeply sighed.

"Louis, I am too much for you." He said into the silence, after a moment or two. "I'm too much."

"Too much? What do you mean by that?" Louis queried, folding his right leg beneath himself so he was fully facing Harry.

"I'm just... a lot of effort. Having to accommodate me in your life, with your friends and stuff. God knows how meeting your family would go." He shook his head, with a meaningless laugh. "You need somebody who's easier."

Louis reached out and took Harry's hand in his, holding it tightly. "Harry, you haven't given it a chance. People warm up to others, it will just take time. Patience. Niall has always been difficult." He reassured, stroking the soft back of Harry's hand with his thumb.

"But..." Harry trailed off because his voice had cracked while attempting a new sentence. Louis gripped Harry's hand tighter.

"Please don't cry, Harry."

"I've killed, Louis. I-I've murdered. That-That's why I'm going to be difficult. People... people don't just kill, they have to have that _drive_..." He began crying now. It all seemed to come at once, tears streaming from his eyes and choked sobs escaping his throat.

"Harry, Harry! Come on, please don't!" Louis leant over and encased Harry in a hug, the best he could over the gearstick between them. "I know I don't understand you. But that's what this is about, it's about getting to know you. Learning about you." He was stroking Harry's back, breathing in that gorgeous scent he held. It was awful seeing him like this, such a beautiful person looking so distraught.

Harry didn't say anything else. He used his sleeves to wipe his tears, keeping his head in his hands for a few seconds before looking up at Louis, meeting his eyes. Harry's eyes were a tinge of pink from the sudden emotional outburst. Louis smiled brightly at him.

"Harry," Louis whispered now, "Never think you're too much to handle, okay? People can adjust. I know that what you've told me is quite shocking, it was bound to be, right? But I don't want it to impact anything. We can put it in the past for now, just so long as you can promise me you've changed your ways since then."

Harry instantly shook his head. "No, I can't promise you that." He sighed. "It takes longer than that. My mind is still fucked up, Louis."

Louis felt slightly uneasy after that comment. What exactly did Harry mean by 'fucked up?'

"Let's not get into that now, Harry." He concluded. "But I want you to text me when you get home safely."

"Yeah, okay." Harry agreed, rather blandly. He looked away from Louis, hands gripping onto the wheel again with seemingly deliberate force. Louis thought it was about time to leave, so he said his goodbyes to Harry and watched his car skid away down the road.

Harry really was a handful. 

\- - -

Louis received the inevitable scolding from his parents the moment he walked into his house. He knew it would happen, seeing as he had just randomly disappeared for two days and a night. He decided to tell them he was at Liam's, knowing Liam would back him up if they decided to interrogate him for proof. 

It wasn't until he was lying in bed, in the early morning of Sunday, that he asked himself the question: what the fuck am I doing with Harry Styles?

\- - -

When Monday morning came around, Louis received a text from Niall.

To Louis - From Niall: No need 2 pick me up. Getting a lift from someone else.

Blunt. But to be honest, Louis was glad to hear it, because he didn't exactly need Niall's negativity in his car, _especially_ on a Monday morning. He was just going to be in a strop all day, constantly trying to slip what happened at the smoothie shop into conversation. He was such a fucking drama queen.

Louis travelled with just Liam, which was nice. They didn't have to mind what they said like when Niall was in the back seat.

Louis was still overwrought with dreadful thoughts and feelings about Harry. He was so conflicted because he was so intrigued by Harry when he got to know him, yet Harry was a murderer.

Was he classed as a serial killer, or did that have to be more than two killings?

What if he hurt Louis? What if he injured Niall after spotting him in public?

What would he have-

"What do you think Harry would have done to Niall if we hadn't held him back the other day?" Louis suddenly interjected, completely contrasting with their previous topic of what they had eaten for breakfast. He felt Liam's eyes on him from the passenger seat.

"Bit of a sudden question," He chuckled. "Why'd you bring that up? On your mind?"

"Well, yeah. I'm just curious, how much would he have hurt Niall?" Louis mused aloud, eyes remaining on the road.

"You know him better than I do, right? Depends on how violent he is. Maybe he would have just verbally done something but got up close? I don't know."

_He is a murderer. He is a murderer. He is a murderer. He is a murderer. He is a murderer._

"Yeah, he would have probably just tried to scare him." Louis played along. He wanted to tell Liam. He didn't want it bottled, but it was Harry's dark secret and nobody else could know.

"Louis... are you alright?" Liam analysed, causing the other boy to tense.

"Why would I not be?" Louis grinned, a little too falsely, parking his car in its usual spot of the car park. He looked Liam in the eye for the first time that morning, and Liam only had concern written on his features.

"I think we need to talk after school." Liam stated, scooping his bag up from by his feet. "You're not... _you_ today."

"Maybe you're not you either, eh?" Louis laughed. "Maybe none of us are who we're supposed to be. Maybe we're all hiding who we really are!"

Liam's eyes were slightly wide now, and Louis just wanted to cry but he restrained it and put on a smile.

"Come on, we don't want to be late, do we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter? Louis is feeling a bit chaotic now, bottling up what he has been told. Please comment below what you wish to happen .x


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, again, long time no update. A lot of you will probably have to reread a lot of this to catch up and remind you on what's happening, I'm sorry I stopped updating this! 
> 
> Chapter is short. Getting back into the story.

Louis could feel the two pairs of eyes on him from across the classroom, Niall's scolding and Liam's concerned. He hated how Niall had to be so persistent in making somebody feel bad; he didn't have the ability to look past things or give someone space when something had happened. Louis had to deal with the glares, despite what he had done being not all that bad. Harry had done nothing to threaten Niall, not until he was provoked.

Liam knew something was up. It was in his persona to sense when somebody wasn't acting consistently. Louis was going slightly loopy, honestly, but who could blame him? His violent, murderous new love interest was immediately clashing with one of his best mates. Not a good start.

Liam was trying to mime to Louis across the room, failing quite miserably to do so, and Louis was creasing his eyebrows in utter confusion as he tried to figure out what the hell he was being told. Liam gave up a moment later, and Louis watched him have a lightning bulb moment, reaching for a handheld mini whiteboard, using a drywipe pen to scrawl out what he so desperately wanted to say.

_Talk at lunch?_

Louis could only just read it due to Liam's awful, quick handwriting. Niall had blatantly read the whiteboard too, nosily glancing back and forth between the two boys. He so wanted to be involved, yet he needed to keep up his sulking for at least another 24 hours. He was irritating like that.

Louis simply have Liam a shrug. He didn't want to agree and promise he would talk about what was troubling him, because what was troubling him was intense and he didn't know how Liam (as understanding as he was) would take the news that Harry had killed. It was hard on anybody's ears, especially seeing as Liam had only recently met Harry properly. Liam looked eager to convince Louis to talk, with a soft and understanding smile. Maybe Louis could open up after all.

\- - -

"Just talk. Say _anything_." Liam pleaded, once he and Louis were alone at lunch and had managed to escape Niall. "I'm not going to judge you or Harry. Or whatever is going on between you."

Louis was staring across the field, barely blinking as he reflected on what really could be said. Liam assumed it was something that involved Louis and Harry; little did he know it was only the latter.

"It doesn't exactly involve me. It's just something that's been stressing me out." Louis sighed, rubbing his temples. "Can't get it off my mind and I shouldn't tell anybody but I feel like I need to."

"It's about Harry?" Liam guessed, not taking his eyes off Of his friend. He was so concerned and Louis had so much love for Liam.

"Yeah." Louis confirmed.

"Has he killed someone?"

Louis immediately rose his head to look at Liam, eyes narrowed and mouth slightly agape. He was speechless for a moment, just trying to work Liam out by analysing his facial expression.

"How did you know?"

Liam did look shocked that his assumption was correct. Perhaps he was planning on guessing the worse possible thing first so whatever it really was would seem less bad, but the worst was in fact the truth.

"Who has he killed?" Liam questioned, voice merely a whisper, ignoring Louis' previous question entirely.

"That's not something I have the power to tell you, y'know? I probably shouldn't have even mentioned this to you. I just _had_ to tell somebody and you're the most trustworthy."

Liam still looked taken aback. He looked as though Louis had just slapped him around the face.

"You need to stop talking to him, Louis."

Liam's words hit Louis like a truck. He wasn't expecting a warning, he was expecting sympathy. Protection. He stared at Liam for a moment, maybe ten seconds, before he replied.

"I can't."

\- - -

To Louis - From Harry: What's the Niall situation like? Sorry if you're still mad at me .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Of course I'm not mad at you Harry, I never was xx

Louis was so fucking conflicted. His heart was leading his head. He contemplated what would happen if he stopped talking to Harry, realising a weight would be lifted from his shoulders and his friendships would be mended, but then he got a flash of Harry's face in his mind and his heart once again took control. He was in love, and he was sick of denying that to himself. In a way, he wished he and Harry could just run away and live the perfect life together, away from any obstacles in their way, but then again he had to remember that Harry was still unstable. Or 'fucked up', as he had called his mind. Louis was yet to witness just how bad it could get.

It was as though Liam had been thinking about it too, from wherever he was that evening, because a text from him appeared at the top of Louis' screen while he was deep in thought.

To Louis - From Liam: Are you in love with Harry?

God, Liam knew people so well. Louis was so lucky to have him as a friend. He couldn't speak so much for Niall at the moment though.

To Liam - From Louis: Yes.

There was no use in lying anymore. Liam could know everything and still wouldn't judge Louis. He would always be there for him.

To Louis - From Harry: I'm glad you're on my side Louis. Thank you, I really needed someone like you .xx

This was exactly why Louis couldn't leave Harry. Harry needed him. He would be a monster if he deprived Harry of someone to love; the only other person he had was Zayn, and from what Harry had told Louis it sounded like Zayn had problems of his own to deal with. That wasn't a good combo for Harry. He needed balance.

To Harry - From Louis: I'm glad I help you. Always here when you need to talk, remember that xx

Why was Louis digging himself deeper and deeper into this one? On one hand he had Liam telling him to cut ties with Harry, and on the other he was telling Harry that he would always be there for him. All he was doing was stressing himself out impossibly more.

To Louis - From Liam: I figured you were mate..and it will be hard but you have to choose whether he is worth the stress and well, risk?? You never know he could still be a bit messed up.

_Fucked up in the head._

To Louis - From Harry: Thank you Louis, so much. I want you forever, I want you to know that .xx

Louis had to lock his phone and put it into his top drawer. This was becoming too much for him already, torn between two very contrasting idealities. He wished he had never met Harry, in a sense. Then nothing would be like this.

_Or he wished Harry wasn't weird._

No, that was an unfair frame of mind. Harry couldn't help what his mind was naturally like. 

_But he did have the monstrous ability to hurt Louis, if he so wished._

Louis knew what he was getting himself into, but it was purely addictive. The harder he fell for Harry, the deeper he fell into that well of possession. Harry was possessive and jealous, he wouldn't want anybody else to have Louis. If Harry got any more obsessed, Lord knows what he could do next.

_But Louis was in love._

And it felt strange. He hadn't been in love before. This wasn't the most ideal love either: Harry wasn't the dream boy whom someone would be delighted to introduce their parents to. Sure, Harry was charming and attractive and pretty much a gentleman, but what he hid beneath the surface is what was terrifying.

But Harry Styles' charming and caring side was quickly winning Louis over.


	26. Chapter 26

Louis' car was pulling into the car park to the leisure centre at around quarter past nine, that Wednesday evening. It had occurred to him that he missed Harry, having not seen him since Sunday, when Niall had freaked out and upset him. So when Harry's new status crossed Louis' Facebook wall, he felt an urge to visit him.

It simply read 'Right hook, left hook.' Louis wondered whether Harry had posted it to intentionally get Louis to come and see him, considering all he could do right now was play a waiting game and find out whether Louis still wanted to see him. He did.

He didn't need guidance from reception this time, having remembered the route he took last time to reach the boxing hall. It was slightly busier tonight than when Louis had last visited, with each boxing ring occupied by men clad in boxing gloves, baggy shorts and sweat. It immediately came to Louis' attention that Harry was in a ring in the back corner of the hall, with the same coach who he had been with last time.

Louis' overactive mind began wondering. Every other ring contained men in friendly matches against one another, helping train and guide each other, but Harry was always with the same trained professional. People must have been too scared to step into the ring with him, considering what he had done to his poor opponent. It was sad how Harry seemed so passionate about boxing, yet his sheer strength and unwillingness to stop hitting the man he killed stopped him from being a normal opponent.

Harry's eyes found Louis midday through violently striking the focus pads held by his trainer, and immediately the punching ceased and he had the brightest smile on his face. His trainer noticed that Harry had company.

"Take five, Harry." He said, patting the taller boy on the back before jumping out of the ring, giving Louis a welcoming smile before heading away to give them some privacy.

"Look who decided to show up," Harry smugly greeted, strolling casually to the edge of the ring and leaning onto the ropes. His toned abdomen glistened with sweat beneath the fluorescent lighting of the hall, and Louis couldn't look away. "My face is up here, Louis."

When Louis' eyes did find Harry's face, there was a smirk written across it.

"Hi." Louis piped, instinctively grabbing the bottle off the bench that was marked with Harry's name, handing it up to him.

"Thanks, love." Harry grinned, taking a swig. "I like it when you come and visit me. Nobody else does."

Louis had a crushing feeling in his stomach whenever Harry mentioned how unloved he was. He no longer had his family, he was all alone apart from Louis, and his friends Zayn and Ed. It was a shame Harry wasn't completely mentally stable, because he could be a really lovely guy when he was having a good day.

"Nobody else needs to, because you've got me." Louis smirked. "Get down here, I want to hug you."

"Just a pre-warning, I'm sweaty." Harry chuckled, as he climbed through the ropes and jumped down. Louis didn't care, encasing Harry in a tight hug.

"I don't care." Louis mumbled against the hot, slightly glistening crook of Harry's bare neck. Harry's hands had a very tight hold of Louis' hips, unwilling to let him go. Of course, he had to after a minute or so, holding Louis at arms length by the shoulders and softly smiling at him.

"Thank you for coming."

"When do you finish?" Louis asked, just as his phone buzzed in pocket. Harry started a long explanation about how he needed to practice certain moves and perfect them, but Louis was concentrating on his phone.

To Louis - From Liam: Wanna hang out?

Louis sighed to himself and locked his phone, looking up to see Harry looking quite hurt that Louis had completely ignored everything he had just said to him.

"Sorry, Harry, it's just Liam asking if I want to hang out." Louis confessed.

"Go then," Harry muttered. "I don't mind." Harry's face contradicted his statement and told Louis that it was a complete lie. Of course he minded.

"No, I'll stay with you. I'm not just going to ditch you because someone else wants to hang out." Louis insisted, as he and Harry took a seat on the bench and Harry took another swig of his drink. 

Harry didn't reply, staring forwards with a blank expression. Louis hated it when he suddenly did this. He went into a daze and the emotions just drained from his face; it was quite worrying.

"Harry?" Louis softly asked, touching Harry's bicep. Harry flinched, not expecting the touch, before the widest smile joined his face.

"Sorry, went into a bit of a daydream."

"You're so hurt." Louis whispered, hand grazing over Harry's. "Generally. Aren't you?"

"Would Liam meet up with us both? What if I invited Zayn?" Harry suddenly questioned, without any hesitate whatsoever. Maybe Zayn coming along would resolve some of the awkwardness, but that didn't defeat the fact that Liam had guessed what was so bad about Harry. He would probably be overly wary around him, and maybe make that known.

"Umm," Louis made his indecisiveness known. "Would it be awkward?"

"Well, Liam seemed like the one who didn't mind getting to know me, starting again. Seems like a nice guy."

That was true. Maybe Liam could look past what Harry had done and form new opinions from learning about him firsthand.

* * *

Louis knew for a _fact_ that Liam would be nervous meeting Harry again, despite having agreed to in a friendly and upbeat manner. It wasn't exactly everyday that you had to meet your best friend's, double murdering love interest. It was quite an uncommon occurrence.

Louis and Liam had agreed to skive school together on Thursday, so they could meet up with Harry and Zayn without Niall trying to tag along, meaning they'd have to tell him _who_ they were meeting. 

Louis pulled up outside Liam's house at five minutes past noon on Thursday morning, beeping his horn for an inappropriately long time just for a laugh. He summoned Liam from his home, who was rolling his eyes and glancing round in embarrassment at Louis' attention seeking action.

"Calm down, you only needed to do it once," Liam chuckled, climbing into the passenger seat and strapping in his seatbelt. Louis was surveying his friend. "What?" Liam defensively asked, noting Louis' quizzical stare.

"You nervous?"

Liam laughed, unintentionally nervously, proving Louis' point immediately. "Well... I don't know, I don't really know him, so I guess I am. Meeting new people properly is always hard." He babbled on.

"Liam, let's get real. I'm talking about what you found out about him." Louis stated, refusing to leave the side of the road until he got his answer.

"Well, it is a bit daunting, that's understandable, right? But as I'm trying to say, the fact that he... did _that_ doesn't define my opinion on him. As long as he doesn't pull a fucking knife on me while we're sat down, I think I'll be fine."

Louis lightly laughed at how Liam had ended the heartfelt speech.

"Just don't piss him off." Louis gave Liam a cheeky wink, before finally checking his rear view mirror and pulling out into the road.

* * *

"Only twenty minutes late, sure they won't mind." Liam sassed, sarcastically.

"Wasn't my fault that bellend in front of us decided to drive at ten fucking miles per hour the whole way!"

"Alright, Lou, I was kidding, chill out." Liam smiled. "So they're gonna be in here, yeah?"

Louis had already spotted Harry's iconic black car parked a few spaces from his, smiling to himself but feeling a considerable level of nerves. Probably on Liam's part. "Yeah, they're here."

They had decided on getting lunch together at a local diner in the city centre. Being somewhere atmospheric was bound to kill the tension a bit, opposed to having a sultry wander around a quiet park, or something of the sort. Louis knew well that Harry didn't deal well with silences, as he always assumed people were thinking badly of him.

Liam urged Louis to enter the diner first. The bell chimed above the door as they walked in, catching the attention of Harry and Zayn, who sat in the far right corner in a booth. They already sat together on one side, meaning Louis and Liam could slip into it opposite them.

"Hey." Louis was the first to speak as he settled into the leather seat. "How are you guys?"

"Doing good, mate," Zayn nodded, with a chilled out smile. Louis could just sense Liam looking at Harry, who didn't seem to mind.

"Liam, right?" Harry suddenly spoke out, holding out a large hand across the table in his direction for him to shake. Liam's eyes looked briefly over the formidable hand before him before greatfully taking it in his own, in a friendly shake.

"Yeah, nice to meet you. A-Again. Properly?" He stuttered, before swallowing visibly and plastering on a smile. Harry laughed out of his nose at Liam's flustered actions.

"Properly." He repeated, stare intense.

"So," Louis changed the topic quickly, scooping up a menu to let his eyes run over it. "Have you two checked out the food yet?"

"Yeah," Zayn nodded, before rudely snatching the menu straight from Louis' hands, which honestly surprised Louis as to how informal it actually was. "Getting one of the burgers." Zayn informed, oblivious to his actions, pointing it out on the menu.

Louis tried not to look too bothered by it, closing the hand in which the menu previously was.

"Yeah, I'd kill for a burger now," Harry added, and Louis heard Liam's breath hitch. Harry had definitely done it on purpose to get a reaction. He had registered Liam's fear and he just had a feeling Louis had told him what Harry's past held.

A waitress came over, resolving the tension, holding a little notepad and leaning on one hip.

"What can I get you handsome boys?" She chirped, eyes scanning over them rather hungrily. They all ordered, and it became clear that the woman was particularly fond of Louis, having spent most of her time at their table looking him over and making little comments here and there. Harry was far from happy, and his glare showcased this.

He leant forwards, for Louis' ears only. "She was all over you."

"Don't worry about it." Louis dismissed, in a whisper, with a smile. "I like you."

"What are you two whispering about?" Zayn nosily interrogated, with a smirk. "You're meant to be bonding with us, not planning your next fuck session."

Louis hated how Zayn had said that in front of Liam. It was just... _weird_. He wasn't liking how Zayn was acting today, but as Harry had mentioned once, Zayn did have some bad things going on in his life so Louis wasn't going to be the judge of how it impacted him.

"Funny, Zayn." Harry rolled his eyes. His gaze then turned to Liam again.

"Liam, where's your blonde friend?"

"Niall." Liam corrected, despite the fact that Harry knew all too well what his name was. "He's at school."

"Does he still hate me?"

It was getting tense again. Louis could sense how much Liam hated being put on the spot, particularly with someone as patronising as Harry.

"He hates loads of things, Harry," Louis interjected, saving Liam the stress. "He will probably get used to you. Give him time."

Harry nodded to himself, then he muttered something under his breath that Louis didn't quite catch. 

"What?"

"I didn't say anything." Harry lied.

Why did he have to act like this in front of Liam? It was hardly a positive impression. He already scared the shit out of Liam.

"Your food!" The shrill voice of the waitress called out, and it was an easy job to distribute the meals between the four boys as they had all ordered the same things. "Here you go, baby." She riskily said as she handed Louis his. Harry's eyeline penetrated her face but she didn't seem to notice, continuing to pursue Louis. "What was your name?"

"He's my boyfriend." Harry growled, voice thick of possession and anger.

"I apologise. Enjoy your meals." She hastily commented, quick to avert her gaze and hurry away towards the kitchen. The table was left in silence as the boys tucked into their food. Harry was almost glaring at Louis, not touching his food yet, and when Louis looked up to lock eyes with him, Harry's smile was back.

Louis hated how this was going. Harry's bipolar attitude was probably already confusing Liam, and it still perplexed Louis, despite having known Harry for quite a while now. Zayn's presence was hardly helping to ease the awkwardness, as he was more interested in his phone as he ate his food, than making more conversation.

By the time they were finished, and Harry had kindly paid for all four meals (with no tip for the waitress, unsurprisingly), it was half past one. Nobody tried to make any additional plans because deep down they all knew how tense it had been throughout the meal, so they all went their separate ways, after Harry had urged Louis to call him when he got home safely.

"That was..." Liam trailed off, once he and Louis had hit the road again. "...alright?"

"It was fucking awful." Louis sighed. "So awkward. I'm sorry about that, I should have waited longer before arranging this."

He didn't mention how it was all Harry's idea in the first place. He took the blame for the monstrosity of a meet up.

"He is terrifying, Louis." Liam commented, which shocked his mate slightly. He wasn't expecting such an explicitly conspicuous comment to be made.

"He is, isn't he?" Louis sighed. "God, he is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Harry is finding it hard to get Louis' friends to like him!


	27. Chapter 27

To Louis - From Harry: Have you never ever had the slightest urge to want to kill someone?? Ever? .xx

Louis was walking through the city centre with Liam as he read over the text, immediately crinkling his eyebrows as dread flooded him. It worried him _sick_ that Harry's head was in the state it was. Louis wanted him to be absolutely perfect, to be cured from the awful darkness that had overtaken him, but he was no therapist.

He wondered whether Harry was doing it on purpose, to provoke a reaction. Neither of his killings had been cold-blooded murders of innocent people: one was an accident through sport, the other an attempt to protect his family from the man who terrorised them. But then again, Harry had made comments about his head still being fucked up. He may have had it in him to kill again. Louis was kept up at night sometimes with that thought.

To Harry - From Louis: No Harry. Neither should you again....please? :( xx

The best he could do was plead. There was no use in doing anything more because he didn't hold enough power over Harry.

"You look worried." Liam stated, after having scanned over Louis' face while they walked. "Let me take a wild guess... Harry Styles?"

Louis didn't even have to speak for Liam to know that he was correct. He decided to sit on a bench as they passed it, meaning Liam instinctively sat beside him without a word.

To Louis - From Harry: I can't help it. Sometimes I will think too much and the thoughts I get are overwhelming. So dark Lou :(

Louis held the screen up to Liam's vision, face blank and not even looking at him. Liam's face slowly dropped as he read it.

"Oh..." He hesitated, unsure of what he could possibly say. "Shit. He's... he's in a really dark place, huh?"

Louis wanted to scream 'no shit!' at the top of his lungs, his frustrations getting the best of him, but he merely substituted this with a small nod. He didn't really know what to say, to Harry or Liam. God, he loved Harry. But what do you do when the person you love has murderous thoughts?

"I can see this is hard, Louis. But if you want to keep seeing Harry, you need to help him _find_ Help. He can't do this on his own. Zayn didn't seem very supportive either." Liam advised, surprising Louis by softly grabbing his arm in comfort. "I just want you to remember how fucking serious this is, Louis. Please."

Liam was never _that_ serious, but as he sat there now, eyes pleading, Louis gulped. Things were serious, and he had to stop living in dreamland because things weren't going to improve on their own. Sure, he would mostly need Harry's cooperation, but he knew that somewhere deep inside of Harry he wanted to get better. He was scared of himself.

* * *

"Why did you want to talk to urgently?" Harry questioned, after he had opened his front door and let Louis into his flat. Louis kicked off his Vans in the hallway, hanging up his coat and inviting himself to enter Harry's living room and sit on his sofa.

It then hit him how oblivious Harry's question had been. He hadn't even realised how intensely frightening his texts to Louis were, and when Louis had insisted they met up and had a deep chat, Harry was acting as though _Louis_ was the mad one. It was like he had no idea how he was affecting him.

"Just sit down, Harry. Please." Louis sighed, sitting so one foot was tucked under him, facing the empty space on the sofa which Harry only took a moment to fill. Concern was written on his face, as though this upcoming conversation could be something other than the worrying text messages. "Harry... what do you _think_ I came here to talk to you about?"

Harry was absolutely clueless. He glanced up to the left in thought for a moment or two, before giving his response: "You don't want to see me anymore?"

Perhaps he was partway there, in supposing his dark messages had provoked Louis to want to stop seeing him. Or maybe Harry was speaking aloud the worries he constantly had about Louis just giving up and not wanting to know him anymore.

"What makes you think that?"

"I'm scary." Harry said, voice remaining monotone. "Aren't I?"

Louis had always found Harry quite frightening. Probably due to the face that he relentlessly stalked him for months before they even knew each other. Maybe even longer than Louis knew. And also, the fact that he had committed the most inhumane crime known to man, plus still had thoughts of doing it again, only escalated the fear Louis often felt towards Harry Styles.

"What in your head-" Louis cut off in thought, reconstructing sentences in his mind before he could find the right thing to say. He just didn't want to hurt Harry; damage him even more than he was. "What in your head makes you think it's okay to _kill_?"

The final word Louis had spoken had come out slightly squeaky, instantly showcasing the terror he was trying to suppress, and he watched Harry's face almost drop as he fell into one of his trances. He must have been like this for a good two minutes, only the sound of his steady breathing filling the otherwise silent room.

"I didn't say I think it's okay." His voice was a bit shaky, and what he said was true, and immediately Louis felt bad for accusing Harry of that. He had to remember that Harry had those thoughts involuntarily, and he would stop them if he could.

"If right now, you had a knife..." Louis took in an unshakeable breath through his nose, knowing that what he was about to say was risky and could possibly trigger Harry. "...if you had a knife, and you had an urge to kill someone, would you kill _me_?"

There was a thick silence. At first, the lack of any words worried Louis, but it took him a moment to realise that Harry was staring right at him as a response. He looked absolutely shocked, almost _hurt_ , that Louis could even ask such a question.

"Why would I ever hurt you?" Harry's question came out in a stunned whisper, eyes flicking rapidly between Louis'. "Louis, I would never, ever hurt you. I would never--!"

"Okay, Harry, I know. I'm sorr-"

"I can't believe you'd even think that!" Harry's voice raised ever-so-slightly, the tiniest bit, and Louis knew that he was well on the way to becoming angry and Louis was far too terrified to witness that right now.

"Harry, okay! Calm down, please, don't get angry with me." Louis begged, physically having to put his hands together for Harry to realise that he had given Louis a mild shock. Then there was yet another silence, this time more uncomfortable than the last. Louis regretted having come to Harry's house. He wished he had left it.

"I just want to be normal." Harry softly said, voice full of nothing but sorrow. "I'm so sorry I'm not normal, Louis."

"You can change, Harry." Louis gently gripped Harry's forearm, stroking over it with his thumb. "You won't be like this forever."

"I need a new fucking brain. That's where my problems lie, up here." Harry pointed to his head. "I can't stop seeing blood. All the time, on everyone I meet. On strangers. I imagine them lying there, just half-alive, struggling to breathe, and FUCK!"

Louis loudly gasped and jumped as Harry ripped out of his grip and slammed his hand down onto the coffee table upon saying the final word. Louis was shakily breathing, chest heaving as he scooted away slightly on the sofa, cowering away in fear. He felt tears welling in his eyes, but they didn't fall. Harry was still looking at the ground, breathing somewhat louder than Louis', fist still formed tightly on the tabletop.

"I'm going to leave." Louis informed him, voice breaking towards the end of the sentence as the emotions coursed through his body. He said nothing more, rising to his feet and swiftly leaving Harry's home.

* * *

_'I can't stop seeing blood...'_

Louis was being haunted by what Harry had said as he lay wide awake, staring up at his ceiling in the darkness.

_'On strangers. I imagine them lying there, just half-alive...'_

His chest and throat were tight and closed up, as though he wanted to cry but there was a wall preventing the floodgates from letting it all out.

_'Struggling to breathe...'_

Harry was insane. There wasn't a single doubt in Louis' mind that doubted this anymore.

Perhaps it was the killing of his own dad that influenced his continuance of dark thoughts. Perhaps it was the killing of his boxing opponent that influenced the killing of his father. Perhaps every killing would leave to another, and that was just what Harry was building up to commit. Another killing. A murder. Louis hated that it was almost inevitable.

He _could_ leave Harry. But no, he couldn't. Or could he?

He hated being in this web of bullshit. He didn't want to be afraid of the boy he loved, it was chillingly worrying. He would be vigilant of every single action Harry carried out, and every single word he said, worried he would provoke him. Everywhere he and Harry would go, there would be threats all around them; things to push Harry over the edge and drive him crazy. _More_ crazy.

Where would this relationship really lead? There seemed to be nothing for Louis. But Harry. Pure Harry. _Sweet_ Harry. The Harry he had gotten to know before the awful secret was revealed to him.

It was only a matter of time before Harry hurt someone else. Badly.

* * *

Niall finally allowed himself to talk to Louis at school. It was like that invisible timer had finally run out, the time in which Niall had set himself to stay mad at Louis. It was just laughable really, Louis could see right through him, and he had known Niall would come crawling back sooner or later.

"I'm sorry about how I reacted to Harry." Was his starting sentence for Louis. It was a decent one, at least, and he wasn't avoiding the topic altogether.

"It's okay, Niall. I can understand you were annoyed."

"I need to give him a chance, don't I? I guess I just panicked a bit. And he just scares the shit out of me, I'm sorry to say." Niall nervously admitted. Louis wanted to agree but he had too many times, and he needed to stop himself from being in that mindset of fear. He was at this current point in time, though.

"There's a lot about him that... you'll have to learn, I guess." Louis hinted. He said nothing more about that, but Niall had definitely caught onto something about Harry and seemed curious.

"Any really juicy gossip about him?" He smirked. "C'mon, dish it out for me."

Louis was slightly annoyed, expressing it a bit in his speech. "No, Niall."

"Alright, I was only joking." Niall rolled his eyes. "You need to learn to take a joke, Louis. You take everything so seriously all the time."

What? Why the sudden need to attack?

"Well, sorry for being mature, Niall. Maybe you should start taking things more seriously, mate." Louis tried to say it lightheartedly, with a small smile, but Niall scowled at him. He was such a diva, it was unbelievable.

Louis gave up on him sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story WILL get more interesting soon, I promise. I have a lot planned xxx


	28. Chapter 28

"You need to stop seeing him, Louis."

This was Liam's instant response upon hearing Louis' story of what went down at Harry's house. The moment Louis had mentioned what Harry had cried about seeing blood on everybody, Liam's whole attitude about Harry changed and he wore such an almost professional concerned look as though he were Louis' therapist.

"It's really not that easy. I'd never get away from him, Li." Louis admitted. He had contemplated leaving Harry for good, despite the love he really did have for him, but knew he would be pursued almost immediately. Harry had a stalkerish intent, as Louis had initially learnt about him.

"Then file for a fucking restraining order, Louis, because that boy is unstable as fuck. He literally had a breakdown! Probably not his first either, am I correct?"

He was correct. Harry had a tendency to bottle all of those powerful emotions up before throwing them all out in such an overwhelming fit of distraught that it hurt Louis to even think about.

"Yes."

"Imagine finding a nice, _normal_ boyfriend, Louis," Liam smiled. "One who you'd never have to worry about, never have to watch what you're saying around. One who hasn't killed-"

"Okay, Liam. Okay. I don't need to keep being reminded." Louis rubbed his temples in stress, exhaling loudly into the silence. "How do I tell him? What do I fucking do?"

"Just text him. Right now." Liam ushered, pulling Louis' phone from his pocket for him and shoving it into his mate's hands. Louis was extremely hesitant as he tapped onto his texts with Harry, nibbling on his bottom lip and staring up desperately at Liam. "Type it, Louis. 'I don't want to see you anymore, Harry.' That's all you have to put."

It was easier said than done - Liam had no clue how much adrenaline pumped through Louis at just the sheer thought of trying to cut ties with Harry. It was a frightening concept.

He typed out the message, but didn't want to press send. He refused to press send. Liam clearly didn't, though, as he had reached over and pressed it for him, sparking dread in Louis' stomach.

To Harry - From Louis: I don't want to see you anymore Harry.

"Liam, no!" Louis exclaimed, smacking his friend fiercely on the arm. "You fucking idiot! I wasn't ready!"

"It had to be done, Lou, I'm sorry. You would have never done it yourself." Liam frowned, with sorry eyes. Louis was whispering 'shit' over and over again, wondering why Harry was taking so long to read the message when usually he did within seconds. Perhaps he had seen it as a notification and had been too angry to reply. Or perhaps, in a mature sense, he wasn't even on his phone. He could have even been at boxing.

"I need to... I need to say I'm not serious." Louis fidgeted, once again retrieving his phone. Liam as quick to snatch it from him, putting it into his own pocket. "Liam, I'm fucking serious! Give me that phone right now!"

"Once you start understanding what this fucking is, Louis. What you're getting yourself into. Please."

"Give. Me. The. Phone." Louis warned, anger building up within him. "I swear to God, Liam."

"You're not getting this phone, Louis." Liam knew that Louis had the ability to threaten someone, but never to perform the threat itself. He was a sheep in wolf's clothing when it came to things like that. They erupted into hot debate, a back-and-forth argument which slowly merged into them trying to yell over one another, gradually increasing their volume to overpower one another. 

There was a notification ring from Louis' phone, which immediately silenced the arguing boys. They stared wide-eyed at one another, neither daring to utter a further word.

"Don't look at it." Louis hadn't intended to whisper, but that was how his voice was vocalised. His eyes flicked to where his phone was in Liam's pocket. "Liam, I'm scared."

"Don't be scared, Louis. Be a grown man, come on." Liam pulled out the phone. Louis winced as Liam read it, not showing him yet, and desperately tried to read his friend's expression. His face fell, but more in confusion than anything else.

"What did he say? Was it even Harry?" Louis quickly grilled, desperate to know what the response was.

"It... yeah, it's Harry..." Liam informed, eyebrows creased in the centre. "He said it's okay."

What?

"Mate, he said it's okay! Why were you worrying so much?" Liam's face had become the epitome of delight all of a sudden. "He took it really well."

"Let me fucking see," Louis snatched his phone back, eyes skimming he text.

To Louis - From Harry: That's okay Louis.

No. It wasn't okay.

"Liam..." Louis piped, eyes not leaving the screen.

"What?"

"It's not okay. He doesn't mean it."

"Why? How do you know?"

"Because he wouldn't just be okay with it. It's not okay. I'm scared, Liam."

"Reply again. Ask why it's okay. I don't see why it's not, if that's what he's said. "

"You don't know him like I do." Louis generalised.

To Harry - From Louis: Why is it okay?

He held his breath as he hit send. Liam was craning his neck over to get a look. He must have heard Louis' breath hitch as Harry began typing.

"I really hate this," Louis whispered. "I wish I'd never met him, Liam."

Louis closed his eyes. He didn't want to see a response, relying on Liam to read it first as the notification sound filled the room once again. He wanted his phone to disappear so he didn't have to face this, but he couldn't just run away from his problems.

"Umm... Lou?" Liam slowly asked, causing Louis to peek with just one eye. He read the message and chills shot up his spine. A hot flush flooded his body and he felt as though the blood had drained from his body.

To Louis - From Harry: It's okay....as long as you want your life to be a living hell :)

"Oh shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me an award for the shortest FUCKING chapter ever. This was so short and I'm sorry, just an establishing chapter for the next stages of the story :O Louis is tired of Harry's unstable personality... he was to make a change but Harry wants the opposite xxx


	29. Chapter 29

Louis blankly stared forwards as he drove Liam home, face emotionless and index finger drumming arythmically on the steering wheel. Liam had no idea what he could say to replenish the absence of words, occasionally glancing Louis' way in a half-witted attempt to showcase his concern - despite having been the root cause; he had been the one to force Louis into provoking Harry.

"I don't think you should be too scared," Liam figured, refusing to look at his friend as he was overcome with guilt. "I think it's just a threat, he wants to scare you into staying with him."

Louis didn't reply, but the tapping of his finger on the wheel ceased as he took in Liam's words. All he responded with was a mere nod, and a hum of acknowledgement.

"Louis, you're going to have to say something. Otherwise you'll just bottle it all up and it'll drive you crazy." Liam urged, deeply exhaling. "Look, I'm sorry he had to react so..."

"So psychotically?" Louis queried, almost calmly, with a soft smile. "Don't worry, I'm used to it by now."

Liam was worrying now. He wished he had never exhorted Louis to message Harry so soon, he could see how deeply affected Louis was, and how dangerously he was reacting: like he was too shocked to _act_ shocked.

"Louis, I _promise_ you he won't act on it. Just because he said it, that doesn't mean he'll do it. He cares about you, why would he want to ruin your life?" Liam ranted, passionately. "He's trying to frighten you, and it's clearly working."

Louis sharply stopped the car at the edge of the road once they had reached Liam's house, as though his distracted mind would have told him to keep on driving, had he not noticed where they were, and he slowly turned to Liam.

"Liam, Harry is a murderer." He gently spoke, emphasising each and every syllable. "Do you _really_ think he doesn't act irrationally?"

Liam opened his mouth to speak, but his mind didn't form a coherent reply, so his mouth was left ajar. Louis knew he had won.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Liam."

Liam nodded, scooping his bag up from the footwell beneath his seat before exiting the car with no further dialogue.

* * *

There was nothing that could be said to Harry now. Louis was dying to send another message, the most recent one having been the one which kicked Louis right in the guts. To say he was worried sick would be an understatement.

He should have listened. When his friends and family said Harry was trouble, he should have taken their advice. But he filtered it out and deluded himself into thinking Harry Styles was _different_ to what he had been made out to be, while he was blatantly stalking Louis.

_How was he planning on making Louis' life a living hell?_

Louis didn't even wish to know. Would _he_ get hurt? Harry had reiterated several times in the past that he wouldn't lay a finger on Louis, but then again he also hid his horrendous past for the months he and Louis were acquainted.

He decided to check Harry's Facebook, seeing as his status updates were practically diary entries most of the time. He typed Harry's name in the search bar, only having to type the 'H' for it to appear, and clicked onto his profile. There was a new status update from seventeen minutes ago.

**Harry Styles:**   
_People really underestimate what I can do._

Well shit. Louis was in some deep shit. He knew he had to text Harry again, he couldn't just leave it like this. He frantically got his phone and typed out anything that came to mind.

To Harry - From Louis: What's wrong Harry? Seriously. Is it that I've got no choice but to keep in touch with you? I've got no other option have I? You're scaring me. Is that what you wanted?? Because you got it. I'm fucking terrified of what you could do Harry. :(

He didn't hesitate to send it, getting a slight satisfaction out of it. It was everything he wanted to say, with an element of trying to attract sympathy. He knew Harry cared about him a lot. 

He waited longer than he had expected to for a reply: an hour and twenty minutes. Usually Harry would reply within seconds. Louis was kind of afraid to read the reply, but told himself to stop being such a child.

To Louis - From Harry: You're all I've got Louis. I can't lose you. And if you wish to remove me from your life, believe me, you've got another thing coming, because I'm not just going to let you go.

Louis felt so drained. He was torn between wishing he'd never met Harry, and wishing things could have been different between them. But Harry couldn't change, he'd be this way no matter what the situation. Louis was trapped now and Harry had him right where he wanted him. How could he have been so fucking naive?

To Harry - From Louis: You're a fucking monster you know that? You won't have me anymore. Goodbye Harry.

Louis switched his phone off completely, heart thumping and breath wavering.

* * *

"What's wrong, Lou?"

Lottie had sensed her older brother's dejection from across the dinner table.

"None of your business." He snapped, trying to eat his pasta as quickly as possible so as not to be sat with his intrusive sister for too much longer.

"Alright," She snobbily defended, "Sorry got caring."

Louis angrily slammed down his fork onto the half-finished plate, pushing his chair back so it scraped along the laminate flooring, before taking his plate and leaving the room with no further words. He carelessly slid the plate onto the countertop, so it was inches away from falling straight onto the floor and shattering, throwing the piece of cutlery into the sink with a clatter.

It only occurred to him when he had reached his bedroom that he hadn't yet checked his phone, which was lying face down on his bed from where he had thrown it. He switched it back on, watching as it came to life once again, and hated the feelings of dread he got as it loaded. There was a text waiting once it had, which he tapped onto.

To Louis - From Harry: I'm not a monster Louis, I'm just a human being who's having a really hard time. I just need you.

Louis felt awful. There was Harry styles playing with his emotions again, pulling at his heartstrings. He was conflicted on whether to feel bad about having called Harry a monster. But if he apologised, he would be going right on back to Harry and a vicious circle would begin. He would be trapped forever, he as starting to see that now.

To Harry - From Louis: I hope one day you overcome whatever you're dealing with. It was really nice knowing you Harry and I'm sorry we have to part.

He wasn't going to let Harry pull him back in. He was stronger than that.

This time, a reply did come within seconds:

To Louis - From Harry: Good luck trying to get away from me Louis .xx

Louis no longer had the capability of doing anything about this. What could he possibly do? If he told anyone - friends or family - they would tell him that it was his own fault, that he had gotten himself into this mess. Which was true.

As usual, he figured he'd sleep on it. He didn't even bother putting his phone onto charge, throwing it somewhere on the floor amongst his clothes whilst thanking God that tomorrow was a Saturday.

* * *

Louis himself wanted to commit murder, when at the young hour of nine o'clock in the morning, Felicite had burst into his room and ultimately ripped him from his dreamless sleep.

"I didn't know Valentine's day was today!" She beamed, with a mischievous look in her eye. "Who's keen on you this time, eh?"

Louis, groggy eyed and purely pissed off, stuffed his face into his pillow and mumbled his reply against it.

"What the fuck are you on about? Can you let me have a lie-in for once?" He confusedly snapped, wishing she would just take the hint and make herself disappear. He was too tired to really process what she was saying, having only been in reality again for what must have been forty seconds.

"Well, there's a bouquet of flowers on your car bonnet."

Louis sprung up from his bed faster than lightning, as his tired mind calculated what the hell was going on, and pulled his curtains back to get a view of their house's driveway. She wasn't lying, and Louis found himself rolling his eyes, knowing the culprit. It was clearly an emotionally bruised Harry.

"So that's the joke Niall's been planning," Louis lied, figuring his sister would be easy to kid. "He's such a bastard. Thought someone really loved me from a second, too."

Lottie brightly laughed. "Maybe one day you'll find the right person." She left his room, having obtained the maximum gossip from this scenario, leaving Louis with his thoughts.

Okay... how did Harry know where exactly he lived? He had never explicitly told him, he'd always tell him to meet him or drop him off at the park right down the road. That was worrying, for a start, plus the fact that Harry had made it his aim last night to travel down to Louis' own home and place some flowers on his car.

This was a warning. This was Harry's way of telling Louis that he couldn't even feel safe in his home, because its location was no longer discreet. He slipped some Vans on from beside his bed, not caring that he was in his pyjamas, and stormed down the stairs and outside. He went to reach for the flowers, but found a small note tucked inside as his hand clasped around the stems. He glanced around warily, before unravelling the note and skimming his eyes over its contents.

_I hope you like them Louis. They're almost as beautiful as you are .xx_

Louis knew Harry had purposely added in the full stop before the kisses, even in writing, so Louis would know instantly that it was him. It was practically his trademark. Louis decided to keep the flowers, because they were very pretty and there was no point in binning a perfectly good bouquet, but he did tear the note to shreds and throw it away.

He lay the flowers on the desk in his room before grabbing his phone to text Harry. It was a quick text, not one looking for further conversation, because he needed to say something.

To Harry - From Louis: I don't get what you don't understand here. But stay out of my life from here on, or I will call the police. I know that's your worst nightmare, anything to do with the law.

He smugly smiled as he pressed send. He knew it wasn't nice to pick at the fact that Harry was so distraught over the murders, and was afraid the police could find out, but it was soon going to reach the point where the police were beneficial to Louis. He could just feel it. It was only the morning after the day Louis had told Harry he was done with him, and already Harry had had the nerve to buy some flowers, travel to Louis' own home, and leave them there for him to find. If this was day one for Harry, Louis hated to think what the future held. This was just the first day of making Louis' life a living hell - starting off lightly and sweetly. But Louis had watched too many documentaries not to know that things would soon take a sinister turn if Louis kept on pushing Harry out of his life.

Fuck, he still loved Harry so much, but he just wished he wasn't like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's all downhill from here.
> 
> You may have noticed that I've added the tag 'unhappy ending.' Now, this doesn't mean Harry is going to kill Louis, or anything stupid like that! It just means the story will end how it most likely would in reality. Just wait and see I guess, probably not tooooo long left of this xx


	30. Chapter 30

Louis paused Netflix for what must have been the 4th time, as he was interrupted once again by another intrusive family member. Nobody in his family ever had the courtesy to knock before barging into his bedroom, deciding that encroaching his privacy was just fine because he was male. If he had the balls to burst into one of his sisters' rooms, he would get an earful on how girls needed their privacy, _blah blah blah_.

It was his mum this time, holding an armful of his freshly washed and folded clothes. He gave her a slightly irritated glance from where he was lounged on his bed, laptop lazily lying on his stomach to avoid him having to be sat up, but he couldn't be too mad at her because she had laundered his clothes... and brought him onto the earth in general.

"Why's it so dark in here?" She complained, setting the pile of clothing on Louis' desk chair before heading to the window and peeling back the curtains. Light poured in, stinging Louis' eyes, which had been used to the artificial light emitted by his laptop screen.

"Because I'm _trying_ to watch a film." Louis hinted, eyes flicking from the screen to his mother. "But no big deal, Honestly."

"Why are you being so reclusive? Don't you usually meet your friends on Saturdays?" She questioned, leaning on one hip and crossing her arms. Louis wasn't allowed one single afternoon of lying on his bed and relaxing; he was apparently nothing but a lazy slob if he tried to.

Yes, he did usually meet up with Liam and Niall, but having received the bouquet of flowers from Harry just that morning, he wasn't exactly feeling up to leaving the safety of his home. He couldn't be bothered with it, honestly, and would rather pretend the outside world didn't exist.

"They're busy. I just want to relax today, I barely get to anymore."

"Well, me and your father were going to head to town, and we think you should come too."

Oh _God_ , Louis really did not want to leave his bedroom. Now that he had Harry to worry about, he knew he'd probably never enjoy going out again. But if he was with his parents, they'd effectively be the best body guards. Harry surely wouldn't _dare_ harass Louis if he was with them.

"Do I _have_ to go, though?" Louis whined. He cringed inside when he watched as his mother inspected the bouquet of flowers on his desk, ignoring his question completely.

"Where did you get these?" She asked, smiling to herself a bit. It was so embarrassing how she probably thought Louis had gone out and bought them for himself.

"Niall bought them for me, he thinks he's funny like that." He fabricated. "But really, do I actually have to go?"

"Yes."

Louis groaned aloud, shutting his eyes and letting his head smack the headboard behind him. "At least let me watch a bit more of this, I've had nothing but interruptions since I put it on."

"Okay, but be ready by two." And with that, she left his bedroom again. It was already half past twelve. A ninety minute countdown had started, before he had to be out in public again. He just wanted to stay indoors forever.

* * *

After showering and blow-drying his hair, Louis decided to dress lazily, in tracksuit bottoms and a plain t-shirt. He really couldn't care less what he looked like today, and wanted to convey his lack of enthusiasm about going out through what he was wearing.

"Glad you've made an effort." Mark sarcastically greeted Louis at the foot of the stairs, patting his back. Louis rolled his eyes once again, slipping on a pair of Vans. He was surprised he didn't receive the usual comment of _"your eyes will roll out your head one day, Louis, if you don't lose the attitude."_

It was nice being able to sit in the back seat of a car for once, usually being the one in the driver's seat. He plugged in his earphones and blasted _The Fray_ on full volume, drowning out his parents' uninteresting conversation, and gazed out the window as the car passed along the dual carriageway, towards the Frenchgate shopping centre.

He always thought about how crazy it was that the faces he saw in passing cars belonged to strangers who he'd probably never see again in his life. The earth was so packed, yet some faces (Harry's) would be those he'd certainly recognise, and hate to see at the moment.

His phone buzzing in his hand cut him off from his deep thoughts. He instinctively thought it would be Harry, having been thinking about him already (and he wanted to convince himself to delete and block Harry's phone number in general) but he unlocked his phone to see Niall's name. He hadn't been speaking to Niall as much as he used to, because they always seemed to have some form of disagreement when they did speak. It was sad how Louis could basically see their friendship falling to pieces, only recently.

To Louis - From Niall: I just got a friend request on Facebook.

It was a request from Harry. Louis already knew the answer. This was getting stupid now.

To Niall - From Louis: Don't accept it

To Louis - From Niall: Already did!! And got a weird message...

 **Oh, for fuck's sake.** Louis just wanted one second without drama, just one. It was impossible with Harry in his life - and it seemed as though he'd never leave. He was persistent not to.

To Niall - From Louis: Oh god....saying what?

To Louis - From Niall: Umm Louis, are you going to Frenchgate today???

Louis furrowed his eyebrows. Frenchgate was his destination, and Louis was indeed going there. Did... Harry know that?

To Niall - From Louis: Yeh....why??

To Louis - From Niall: He just knew Louis. I swear I didn't tell him. He's said he's going there today so please please be careful Louis seriously.

Louis had paused his music and removed his earphones, too stressed to enjoy it at that moment, and felt like he was growing hot all over with worry. How the _fuck_ did Harry know where he was going?

To Niall - From Louis: Is there any way you could ask where abouts in town he is going?? Just so I can avoid him please?

Louis was desperate not to bump into Harry. It would spark so many questions from his parents. He couldn't deal with this right now. Niall took a while to reply, so the car was pulling into town's multi-story car park, and his parents had no idea how anxious he was about this. Louis didn't take his eyes off the screen, as Niall started typing, and the car was pulling into a parking space on the second level.

To Louis - From Niall: He said he's stood in the car park, probably waiting for your car mate :/

"Shit." Louis whispered, unintentionally aloud, so his parents looked back at him in confusion. "No, don't worry, it's nothing." He lied.

"I'll go and get the ticket, won't be a second." Mark said, climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind him, leaving Louis and his mum alone. There was a silence, allowing Louis to hear his heartbeat in his ears as he speedily typed a new message out to Niall.

To Niall - From Louis: I'm in the fucking car park right now. What do I do?

Niall was quickly typing.

To Louis - From Niall: Just don't panic Lou. Are you on ur own?

To Niall - From Louis: No I'm with the parents

"Are you okay, Louis?"

Oh no, his mum had noticed how flustered and panicked he was being. He quickly nodded to her before returning to his phone. 

To Louis - From Niall: OK just stick with them. He somehow knows ur with them too.....he might approach you, just warning you now. Pretend you don't know him???

Was he being watched? Pretending he had never seen Harry in his life was probably Louis' best bet. His parents were always very wary of their children, and how they were around strangers. They would protect him at all costs.

Louis physically jumped as Mark returned to the car and opened the door, sticking the parking ticket on the inner windscreen. "You two ready?"

Louis wasn't, but he nodded anyway. He opened the car door, ultimately exposing himself to the outside world, and as his Vans hit the concrete floor of the car park, he vigilantly observed the area. There was a couple getting out of a Ford the other side of the car park, but no sign of anybody else. No sign or a black BMW X5. Perhaps he had parked on a different level, or was saying all of this to Niall to scare Louis.

"Louis, just tell me. Is something wrong?" Jay reiterated, hooking her arm in her son's. He'd usually complain and break the arm link, but today he needed the extra comfort.

"No. Everything's fine, I promise." He kissed her cheek, hoping it would add to the reassurance, and she smiled at him as they began to walk towards the staircase, which led out to the shops. Louis was on high alert, surveying every new area that they walked into.

"I need to pop into H&M," Jay informed the two, as they left the car park completely and entered the indoor area of the shopping centre, shops lining the way. It was busy today, luckily, as it usually was on a Saturday. This was partly lucky, because it would make Louis harder to spot amongst the crowds, but it would also make _Harry_ harder to spot amongst the crowds. Louis was hoping he'd spot the tall build of Harry before he was unsolicitedly approached.

Louis knew his mum would be shopping for _hours_ if she went into any form of clothes shop. As long as they weren't out on the main foyer of the centre, because he felt like that was where they were most visible, if Harry did happen to leave the car park and go hunting for Louis. It was very much like a predator/prey situation here. Louis trailed behind his Mark and Jay as they entered H &M, and she was immediately interested in some shirts hung up by the door. This was going to be a long and tiring day, for sure.

* * *

They were in there for precisely 75 minutes before they reached the till. Louis' stomach was growling, having skipped any food once again before leaving the house, and it had gone three o'clock already.

"Can we go and get some food, _please_?" He begged, as they left the shop, and he had a bag in his hand which his mum made him carry for her, another in Mark's.

"Yes, let's go eat." Mark agreed.

"I want KFC." Louis stated, as they began walking amongst the crowds again. Louis glanced up, and his feet immediately stopped moving him along. He was close to dropping the carrier bag from surprise, as Harry Styles stood about three metres ahead of him, looking right at him with a large grin on his face.

"Louis! Never expected to see _you_ here!" He exclaimed, tone bursting with exhilaration, and Louis was so frozen in place that all he could do was gawk. Harry had approached him, even though he had company. Jay and Mark had no idea how sinister this boy really was, smiling at Louis, thinking he had just bumped into a mate they'd never met.

"I..." Louis cocked his head to the side, immediately putting on an act. "Do I _know_ you?"

Harry wasn't expecting this outcome, and he certainly hadn't planned for it. He had anticipated Louis to become flustered, and have no choice but to respond cheerfully, or maybe even take Harry a few feet away (like back at the shoe shop) to have a private conversation with him, but not this.

Jay's eyes flicked in perplexity between the two teenage boys, waiting for some sort of explanation from the stranger stood in front of them.

"Don't be silly, Louis." Harry maintained the smile and level voice. "I've missed you, you know?"

Louis was so, so stuck, and he found himself taking a step back so he was between Jay and Mark. This was when Mark took a step forward, standing in front of Louis.

"Mate, what's going on here?" He asked Harry, not confrontationally to begin with. He figured being friendly would gain a sufficient answer.

"I'll be damned if I knew, sir," Harry brightly grinned, and those iridescent eyes lacked the darkness which he really hid. So well. "What _is_ going on, Louis?" His eyes were on Louis again.

"Come on, let's go." Louis muttered to his parents, starting to lead them around the obstructing boy. He harshly jumped and gasped as Harry reached out, clasping a large hand tightly on his forearm and looking him deeply in the eyes.

"I'll text you." He stated, in a voice which suddenly lacked the upbeat, false tone. The glare Louis received made him shiver. Mark was quick to intervene, pulling Harry's hand from Louis' arm before giving Harry a challenging up-and-down look. They walked away from Harry with no further conversation.

* * *

Louis manged to get out of all of the questions fired at him by his parents by saying he and Harry were simply past mates who had fallen out. Mark openly mentioned how he didn't like Harry much. Louis wasn't too surprised, considering Harry had grabbed his arm so tightly that it throbbed when it left his grip, but he managed to keep the situation a secret for now.

He did receive a text from Harry, though, as promised...

To Louis - From Harry: Are you fucking serious Louis? Of course you know me. Stop trying to push me out of your life, I need you so badly for fuck's sake. We will get through this disagreement .xx

'Disagreement.' Ha! That's what his was to Harry. He didn't even understand how abnormal his actions were. It was very worrying, actually. He decided not to reply to Harry's text. He didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He spoke to Niall on the phone later that evening, inevitably about the situation with Harry, as Louis sat on his bed and finally found himself relaxing in his room.

"He's just so weird, Niall," He complained, "Like, he didn't even hide the fact that he was looking for me. He was just stood there in the open when I was walking along."

"That is fucking weird, Lou. He's a creep, one to watch out for, definitely."

Niall didn't know the half of it, what with the double murders to add on top of it. It would probably send Niall overboard with fear if he knew that little known fact about Harry.

"I just can't help but still like him, you know? It's like, deep down I think that I'm attracted to him still, but I can't help that. And something just stops me from deleting his number or blocking it." He admitted. He knew Niall wouldn't go telling Harry this, so he felt safe letting him know.

Niall hummed in thought. "Yeah, that can't be helped, mate," He assured. "But it'll die down. You won't like him for too long if you learn to forget. Do you think... do you think you were in love with him?"

The question hit Louis hard. He hadn't considered it that much honestly, but it did seem plausible considering everything he handled with Harry, yet stayed by his side during (before recently.) He found himself answering the question quite hastily.

"Yeah... I think I might _still_ be in love with him. I hate to say it but... it's true."

"Oh, Louis." Niall sighed. "That makes this so much harder for you. Anyway, I must go, mum's just made me dinner, finally. I'll text you if Harry messages me again."

"Okay, Niall. Thanks for everything today." Louis smiled into the phone, before replying with his goodbye. He hung up and sighed, dropping the phone onto his covers before rubbing his hands over his face. He heard his phone ringing again, rolling his eyes behind his hands thinking it'd be Niall having forgotten to mention something, but his stomach dropped to see Harry's name across the screen. He admittedly had good timing to call. Weirdly.

Louis decided he would answer the call but stay silent. He scooped it up and pressed the answer button, pressing the device to his ear and just listening. He could hear Harry's light breath in, before he said something that caused goosebumps to erupt on Louis' bare arms:

"You're still in love with me?"

Louis was lost for words, eyes widening and phone losing complete grip of the phone in shock, so it dropped onto his covers again as the call carried on. His eyes darted straight to the bouquet of flowers sitting on his desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worked it out?


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Includes one line of speech which is slightly gory but what the hey, this story will probably get a lot worse than the one line

"So, what is it?" Louis worriedly quizzed, keeping his voice low, as he was well aware that his speech was being picked up on. Everything he said. He watched as Liam twiddled the small, black device in his fingertips, closely inspecting it. It couldn't have been more than five centimetres long, about two centimetres wide, with silver lining on its shortest perimeters.

"A microphone," Liam simply stated, and Louis noticed how he held a certain spot on it with the pad of his thumb, as though he knew it would prevent their conversation from being leaked. "It's a fucking microphone, Louis."

Louis sucked in a sharp breath, eyes looking over the suspicious object that Liam was still scrutinising. He hated himself for not having realised.

"It's... not a camera too, is it?" He spoke the fear that had been eating away at his brain, despite the microphone having been tucked away at the near bottom of the bouquet, and watched as Liam shook his head reassuringly.

"No, mate. It's got no lens, don't worry."

It was funny how Liam was telling him not to worry, even though this was still a _microphone_ , which had picked up on God knows what. Whatever Louis had been saying, to anyone, Harry had eavesdropped on. It was terrifying. No wonder he knew Louis would be in the shopping centre, and would have his parents with him. No wonder he knew Louis still liked him.

"This is a really hypersensitive microphone," Liam apprised, looking mildly surprised at the complexity of the small device. "Really hi-tech stuff, especially if it is streaming live audio. This thing can't have been cheap, Harry means business."

"I don't know what to say, Liam. I'm speechless." Louis heavily suspired, putting his hands over his face once again. It was true: what could he possibly say? They both knew it was Harry, Louis had explained the situation to Liam, how Harry had phoned him and repeated what he had heard of Louis' phone conversation with Niall. It was a frightening prospect and Louis couldn't quite believe it.

"You have a right to be speechless, Louis, this is _messed up_." He shook his head in disgust. "We need to hand this in to the police."

Louis was struck with a sudden torrent of alarm. The thought of turning it in to the police, and exposing to them what Harry Styles had done, struck him as being something far from what he wanted. Despite having literally been spied on, against his knowledge and in his own home, he didn't want to get Harry into trouble. It was probably to do with the feelings he still possessed for him.

"Wait, no..." Louis quickly interjected, shaking his head quickly when Liam shot him a perplexed look. "I don't think we should. I mean, not yet, just-"

"Louis, are you serious?!" Liam vociferated, eyebrows raised. "You've got to tell them! That man planted this in a so-called gift, so he could listen to what you're fucking saying and doing in your bedroom!"

"I know, I know, it's just... give me that." He gestured for Liam to hand over the microphone.

"Why?"

"Because I know he's listening. Can I have it, please."

Liam reluctantly placed the gadget into Louis' open, commanding palm. Louis brought it up so it was level with his mouth, holding it about twenty centimetres away, before speaking.

"Harry." He softly stated, anger absent from his tone. "I know you're listening. I just want to say that what you're doing here, it's fucking awful. Disgusting."

"Say you'll tell the police." Liam whispered.

"And I will tell the police if you continue, I hope you realise that. Leave... me... alone. If I see you again in public and you even _dare_ to talk to me, I'm going straight to the police station and telling them everything you've ever done." He left a considerably tense silence before he spoke the last word: "Everything."

He put the microphone back down onto his desk, before glancing up at Liam, who smiled sadly at him.

"This is so shit." He piped up. "You don't deserve this, Louis."

"He just won't give up," Louis shrugged. "No matter what I say, he always goes one step further."

Louis' phone started ringing into the silence, buzzing violently from where it sat on the other end of the desk. He glanced at Liam, then over at the flashing device, which showed Harry's name.

"It's him." He whispered, voice laced with terror. "Liam, what do I do?"

"Let me answer." Liam urged, using his hand to gesture for Louis to pass the phone over. "Come on, quick!"

Louis scrambled to scoop up his phone, acting as though it were a ticking bomb as he dropped it into Liam's hand, watching as his friend took a deep breath before swiping to answer.

"Hi, Harry. It's Liam here. Louis' friend, do you remember me from the diner?" There was a ring of a sickly sweet tone in Liam's voice, an insincerity that mocked Harry over the phone.

Louis was unaware of what response Harry was giving - if any - as the mobile was pressed to Liam's ear and was not on loud speaker. He was wringing his hands together nervously, one foot on top of the other as he awaited any sort of news.

"Put Louis on." Harry's voice was raw and demanding, sending chills down Liam's spine. Just three words, and he was already in a cold sweat.

"No, Harry. Louis doesn't want to talk to you, he doesn't want anything to do with you." Liam's eyes scanned over Louis. "It's just you and me, buddy, so you better start telling me why the fuck you're refusing to leave Louis alone."

Louis was agitated by Liam's use of such a vexatious tone, knowing all too well that Harry's short temper would be provoked by it. He wanted the call to be over but he knew how determined Liam was to confront Harry after what he had done (although he'd never have the balls to do it face to face.)

Harry emitted a deep, manic chuckle all of a sudden, causing Liam to slant his eyebrows, which only confused Louis. Harry's laughing episode ended in an audible intake of breath, which fast became a dramatised sigh, which pierced Liam's ears as it travelled through the phone's speaker.

"Liam." He tested the name, voice monotone. "Liam Payne. Liam James Payne, what did you say to me?"

Liam quickly held the phone to his chest, blocking out Harry from hearing what he was about to whisper to Louis.

"Did you tell him my full name? Even my middle name?" He whispered, in a panic.

"Just Liam. I didn't even mention your _surname_." Louis informed him. "Why?" Louis grew frustrated as Liam ignored the question, bringing the phone back up to his ear.

"What did I say? I said that you need to tell me right now why you're not leaving Louis alone." Liam gritted. "Start talking, Harry."

"I could kill you Liam." Harry purred, a hollow laugh following. Liam's face paled, eyes widening slightly, as he took in Harry's words. "I've looked you over. Squared you up. Worked out that I could kill you in under two minutes if you so drove me to."

"What? What's he saying? Liam!" Louis muttered, tugging at his frightened friend's sleeve. "Liam, seriously! Tell me!"

"You're crazy." Liam breathed into the phone.

"I'm glad you worked that one out, if only you'd have worked out that you need to watch how you talk to me, Liam. Watch your mouth. Oh, and your back, because I do see you out quite often." Harry's low voice was sure to haunt Liam's dreams that coming night. "Stay out of what's happening." 

"He's my best mate, Harry, and I will protect him. I'm not going to fucking stay out of it just because you're threatening me."

"Liam Payne, if you don't fucking stay out of this, I will track you down and personally slice your stomach clean open, until your insides are on the floor. Do you understand me?"

Liam lowered his hand, bringing the phone with it, before padding his thumb on the button to end the call. He stared forward, avoiding eye contact with Louis with a dazed stare. Louis immediately grilled him with questions.

"What the hell did he say? Why do you look so worried? Why didn't you mention the microphone?"

"Louis..." Liam sternly interrupted his mate's stream of questions, after a short silence. "... I'm calling the police."

* * *

"And this makes caesium the most reactive metal. Forming with water to make caesium hydroxide, it--"

Louis was too distracted to pay attention to their chemistry lesson. He stared out of the window as his monotone teacher droned on and on about metals and chemical reactions, and he honestly cared more about the cars entering and leaving the car park outside, currently. His mind was preoccupied by thoughts of **Harry** ; nothing else.

"Louis?" The teacher called on him suddenly, causing him to whip his head around on face the front of the room, heart lightly racing as eyes landed on him. "What's the answer?"

"Umm..." Louis desperately glanced over at Niall, who was quick to form the letter c by curling his thumb and index finger, followed by a letter s by linking two together. "C and S?"

"Correct. You've proven me wrong, I thought you weren't paying attention," the teacher smiled. "The symbol for caesium is Cs. Thank you, Louis."

Louis stuck a thumb up at Niall as a thank you, before letting his eyes trail to their previous spot out the window. His chest was pricked with terror when he spotted an addition to the view of outside: a black BMW X5 with Harry leaning against it. Louis had to blink hard to realise that he wasn't imagining it. He ripped his eyes away, feeling his heart heavily thudding against his ribcage, and as though he was growing hot all over in fear. He couldn't help but glance back over, gaining an immediate wave from Harry. It was almost a mocking wave, one which he was hoping would drive terror through Louis' veins, knowing exactly how he was impacting him. Louis was so stuck on what to do, he linked eyes with Liam across the room, who looked clueless, trying to glance at Louis and desperately scrawl down notes as their teacher spoke.

Louis glanced back out the window, panicking slightly to see Harry putting his mobile phone to his ear, before glancing in Louis' direction, straight in the window. Louis was half expecting his phone to go off, surprised when he glanced at its screen under the table not to see it flashing and ringing. He looked outside to see Harry's mouth moving in conversation, eyes trained directly on Louis. Weird... unnerving... Perhaps he really was just making a normal phone call, hoping Louis would worry. 

Then Harry put away his phone, giving Louis a thumbs up before climbing into his car and driving away. What was that all about?

Around five minutes later, the classroom door opened, and their headteacher strolled in. He pointed at Louis across the room, to the confusion of everyone, an unimpressed gesture on his face, and then at Liam. Louis' heart was beating fast again, and Liam glanced around with surprised eyes.

"Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, come to my office _right_ now!"

Hurried whispers filled the room, as Louis and Liam exchanged perplexed and worried eye contact across the classroom, and Louis didn't know exactly what was happening, but he knew that Harry was the root cause.


	32. Chapter 32

Louis' heart had practically leapt into his throat upon hearing Mr Watts, the head of Hall Cross sixth form, proclaiming his name in such a censuring tone. His initial reaction was to gawk over at Liam, whose name had followed his, to see him frozen still in sheer trepidation and bewilderment, pencil having fallen from his grasp and hit the paper on the table.

Twenty or more pairs of scrutinising eyes pierced into the disconcerted boys, who had no choice but to ashamedly rise to their feet, throwing their bags over their shoulders and pushing in their chairs, so they gently scraped the smooth flooring beneath them. Mr Watts, whose disapproving stare latched onto the boys, held the door for them, so they could pass out of the classroom and leave behind the flurry of whispers from their confused classmates, including Niall, who looked the epitome of lost. The two boys were just as perplexed - Louis slightly more knowing of what had caused all of this.

"What did we do?" Liam's hushed voice was laced with a disquieted edge. "I don't get it, we're in trouble?"

Before Louis could speak in response, they were cut off by the man in charge.

"Boys, I am speechless," He shook his head adamantly, despite Liam's clear shock, giving neither boy the chance to relent. "We need to talk, right now. My office."

He stopped swiftly as they reached said office, and Mr Watts retrieved an over-packed wad of keys from his blazer pocket, picking through them before using the longest silver one to twist open the lock on the door. The boys trailed into the room behind him, lights automatically flickering on once movement had been sensed. 

"Sit." He commanded, nodding his head towards the slovenly couch in front of his desk, which had chunks of sponge-like material ripped from its seat cushions, most probably by reckless students who wanted to leave a disrespectful mark. The boys did just as they were told, falling back onto the sofa and throwing their bags onto the floor at their feet.

"Sir, can you tell us what we've actually done wrong?" Louis sassed, watching Mr Watts huff out a stream of air as he plopped down into his leather swivel chair, behind his desk. He eyed Louis in a patronising glare, slightly tilting his head to the side.

"I received a phone call not too long ago, Mr Tomlinson, which deeply shocked me. Do either of you care to mention what you think it is, before I do so?" Mr Watts reprimanded, fingertips pressed together. _Harry._ Louis wanted to scream at the top of his lungs that it was all a hoax, that they were innocent regarding whatever Harry had stirred up. Louis and Liam exchanged clueless expressions, each waiting for the other to fill the silence. Liam did, after some hesitancy.

"Umm... nothing, sir. We've done absolutely nothing wrong, we don't quite understand."

"Liam Payne, I am talking about what a student witnessed just earlier this morning. I have already had a parent phone in to complain about what their child saw. I am so disappointed."

"Do care to explain, Mr Watts, because we don't have a clue what you're banging on about." Louis bit his tongue in order to hold back a curse word, knowing that would be what would land him in _real_ trouble here.

"The student, whose parent or carer chose to leave anonymous, claims to have witnessed the two of you engaging in sexual intercourse in our school's bathroom!" Mr Watts raged, and Louis' mouth dropped open in fury, eyes on fire, Liam's reaction very similar, in sheer disbelief.

"What?!" Louis exploded, face erupting in lividity. "That's bullshit! That wasn't a fucking parent who called in! You don't know what you're talking about!"

Liam was whispering for Louis to calm down, tugging at his sleeve, despite his own anger and bewilderment at what they were being falsely accused of here. Louis ignored the plea from Liam for him to stop.

"No, Liam! I don't care, I've never heard such nonsense crap in my life!" Louis continued, fists balled and rested on his knees. Mr Watts looked outraged at Louis' enraged reaction towards the slanderous accusations.

"Mr Tomlinson, I urge that you calm down right now! If you refuse to do so, you will land yourself in even more trouble, do you understand me?!" The man raised his voice, standing up from his seat with his palms resting on the desktop, regaining his hierarchy over the two students.

"I know who phoned in, sir, and it was not a fu-" He had to stop the swear before it left his lips. "It was not a parent! How can you sit there and accuse us of such a thing, without any eligible proof?!"

"We don't have any proof as of this far, Louis, but it is still a matter which, by protocol, we must look into. Any phone calls we receive as complaints, from anybody claiming to be a parent of a Hall Cross Academy student, must be considered by us, by law." He tried to hold the level of a serene tone of voice, using his hands to physically motion for Louis to calm himself down, while Liam was nervously wringing his hands and staring at his lap. The temperaments of the two boys differed greatly at times like this.

"Well you're going to find it to be complete and utter bullshit, sir, because Liam and I did no such thing." Louis couldn't contain the swear word this time, using his eyes to apologise briefly, for his own rebellious language. He was lightly shaking from the adrenaline that pulsed through his body, visions of Harry stood on the phone burning into his mind. "I witnessed the individual who made the phone call, and I'm telling you now, it doesn't surprise me at all."

Mr Watts seemed to be considering what Louis was saying, giving him a questioning but attentive look. "What do you mean, Louis?"

"The guy who called in, who claimed to be a parent... he's stalking me."

* * *

Mr Watts' eyebrows had raised significantly, having peeled his half-moon glasses off the bridge of his nose and lay them on the tabletop, almost fully gawking at Louis as he took in what he had just told him. Liam looked just as shocked by how Louis had spoken aloud one of the roughest patches of his life, to the man in charge of their entire sixth form centre, as an attempt to divert the accusations away from them again. Louis had immediately wished he hadn't said a _word_ once he was immediately interrogated.

" _Stalking_ you, Louis?" Mr Watts carefully asked, trying to remain cool and professional, but clearly concerned. "That's a very harsh term, and if you're really sure you're using it correctly-"

"I am, sir." Louis cut him off, trying to swallow that thick, ominous lump which had formed in his dry throat. "I am being stalked."

Liam was maturely nodding at Louis' defence, earning a quick glance from Mr Watts, who was lost for words.

"Who is stalking you, Louis? To what lengths has he gone?"

Louis didn't want this; he didn't want this to turn into his teacher grilling him about anything to do with Harry; he in fact wanted to think about that man as little as possible.

"I've got it all under control, sir. There's no need to worry," Louis lied. God, it was far from under control, he had even lied to his own parents about it so they'd get off his back. He was only digging himself deeper into this one, and so far it seemed impossible to resurface from it.

"Now that I've heard about this, Mr Tomlinson, I will have to put it on file. It's part of my job," Mr Watts explained, and Louis felt his heart sink slightly. The last thing he wanted was this ordeal on his school file. "Are you sure this is being handled? Does a parent of guardian know about this man?"

"Yes, sir. It's all being dealt with, I promise." Louis once again lied. It was a half truth, because his parents _did_ know about Harry, but the part about it being dealt with was a lie in itself. Liam had been determined the evening before to call the police but Louis had one again relented and jumped to Harry's defence. It was something deep inside of him that caused him to divert anything away from Harry getting turned in.

"Okay. And you say you witnessed him making the call himself? This call occurred around ten minutes ago, while you were in class." Mr Watts seemed not to believe Louis' statement about having seen Harry on the phone.

"I saw him out the window, sir," Louis could hear how stupid and made up his words sounded. "He was leaning against his car and had his phone in his hand. He was looking in the window at me. I assure you."

Liam was eyeing Louis from the corner of his eye, as though he too didn't believe Louis had witnessed Harry making the call firsthand, but Louis didn't know how to express his sincerity without overdoing it.

"We don't currently have any CCTV cameras operating in the car park, but if matters do go that far then we can look at other resources for answers. If he was on school property during lesson times, with an intent to harass you, Louis, then that is considered as trespassing and can be dealt with by the authorities." Mr Watts explained. Louis didn't want this. He wished he'd have left out the part where it was Harry, and just waited until the accusation was naturally resolved once it was proven that it was false. It was embarrassing how Mr Watts even believed Louis and Liam would have sex in school (or at all, in fact).

"Okay, sir. May we leave now, please?" Louis ran his hands over his face, mind clouded with stress, wanting as much as anything to leave that office and return to their chemistry class. Usually he would opt for anything _but_ a lesson, however he craved it right now.

"Yes, boys, you're free to go for now," Mr Watts dismissed, waving his hand to animate this. "But we will still have to look into both of these matters, as I mentioned before. We will keep you updated on any crucial news."

Louis wanted to reply with 'whatever' but knew that would really be pushing his luck. He simply nodded, with a small crack of a smile, before he and Liam raised to their feet and hurried towards the exit of the room, bags dangling carelessly from their forearms. The moment they left, and the door was shut behind them, Liam stifled a laugh.

"Sexual intercourse in the bathroom," He seemed to merely see the joke in it. "What do they think we are, tramps?"

Louis wasn't finding anything about the situation humorous, mouth pouted to the side, staring forwards as they walked back towards their chemistry class.

"Liam, that is pretty funny, but I'm more worried about the Harry side to it." He admitted, slinging his rucksack onto his back. "I really did see him outside, you know? Making that phone call, looking in at me."

"Yeah, I couldn't believe when you said that. I'm guessing you were kind of expecting something to happen, then." Liam mused, doing he same with his bag as Louis previously had. "Man, I'm surprised you mentioned how Harry's stalking you."

"So am I, honestly. It kind of just slipped from my mouth, y'know? Never would have meant to say it."

They reached the classroom door once again, just as it swung open, and their classmates began filing out of the room, looking the two boys up-and-down, mainly intrigued as to what they'd landed themselves in trouble for. Louis laughed, slightly relieved that they had lost track of the time and it was in fact the end of the lesson (meaning the end of the day.)

"At least that wasted a load of time," Liam smiled. "Home time, at last."

"Guys, what the hell was that about?" Niall questioned, once he reached his friends. "What did you do?"

"Absolutely nothing, mate." Louis sighed. "It was Harry pulling some stupid hoax on us. Told the school some bullshit lie to get us in trouble."

They span on their feet to join the back of the huddle of classmates, everyone heading for the nearest exit of the school.

"He's such a bastard, seriously. When's he gonna take a hint and leave you alone?" Niall shook his head disapprovingly. "I mean, he's so hooked on you, Lou, it's dangerous."

Louis didn't know how he was supposed to reply anymore. He heard it so often, complaints about Harry, that he couldn't always comprehend how to react. He couldn't stop thinking about the terrifying boy, and what he was going to do next, and it made his mind ache. Harry seemed to be taking this to such extreme lengths, phoning up Louis' school (which he had no memory of mentioning to Harry) to make a false complaint about he and Liam - just the day after Louis discovered the hidden microphone. Louis knew today was some sort of payback for Liam having claimed that he was going to call the police. Harry must have heard the threat through the microphone the evening prior. Louis' paranoia struck as they exited the school and headed towards his car in the car park. His eyes scanned the area for Harry's black BMW, but it was nowhere to be seen. Out of sight. They were home free... for now.

"You're always so tense. I hate how he's doing this to you, Lou." Liam sighed, having noted the way Louis was rapidly taking in their surroundings, body stiff.

"I know. I just want it to end." Louis rolled his eyes, as they reached his car. He pressed his keys to unlock the vehicle, and Liam and Niall began climbing in, but Louis hesitated as his car's wheels had caught his eye.

The two wheels in sight were deflated, sunken against the gravel beneath them. Louis' heart sank just as much, head spinning, unable to fathom what was happening once again. His wheels had been punctured. _Stabbed._

"Uh, guys..." He called out, tapping his knuckles on the window to catch their attention. They both jumped out of the car and their eyes followed Louis' gaze to land on the wheels. "Little problem." Louis finished.

"Oh, God..." Liam whispered, disbelieving what was happening. "He..."

"Yeah." Louis mused, absolutely dazed as he stared down at the wheels, as though doing so would magically mend them and fill them with air. "Shit."

"What do we do now? We can't get home now!" Niall stated the absolute obvious, pulling out his phone quickly. "I'll call my dad, have him come out here and fetch us."

Louis was more worried about the cause of the punctures. Harry. He had maliciously stabbed Louis' tyres, halting him from leaving the school premises. Another step further in his hellish plan to ruin Louis' life, as promised.

"Oh dear, boys! Need a lift?" That voice. The voice Louis could only describe as hell on earth, had called out from behind them, stopping the three of them stone-still in their movements. The raspy voice of Harry styles, just a few metres away from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God dammit harry


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is 5050 words or so long (I usually do around 2500) and i have no idea why I wrote so much hahaha

Liam's eyes patently glazed over in fear as he registered whose voice had added to the scene: the recognisable voice which sent shivers rocketing down his spine. Louis had never seen his friend look so overwrought and generally terrified in his life, which was brought on considering the threat he had received from Harry over the phone just last night - the threat that he had failed to mention to Louis:  
_"Liam Payne, if you don't fucking stay out of this, I will track you down and personally slice your stomach clean open, until your insides are on the floor. Do you understand me?"_

Louis was the first of the three boys to turn towards the voice, figuring this was very much his fight, and therefore his two mates didn't deserve to get caught up in it too badly. Harry's arms were folded nonchalantly over his abdomen, a smug grin etched onto his face as he rested his body weight on one hip, one leg stabilising him. He wore all-black, as he had just twenty or so minutes ago when Louis spotted him out the classroom window, and he basked in Louis and his friends' frightened reactions.

"Fucking leave." Louis' mouth moved before his brain had even processed what he wanted to say, growling out the two words with full emphasis of below-the-surface anger. Harry raised his hands in defence, in such an uninhibited manner that Louis couldn't believe his informality, trying so hard to mask his own vigilance by balling up his fists and stepping closer to Harry.

"Leave?" Harry eyebrows rose in humour and his grin remained prominent. "I've only just arrived, Louis, don't you think you're being a bit unreasonable?"

Louis wanted so gravely to storm forwards and slap the living daylights out of the man, however it was so risky doing anything of the sort due to Harry's constant off-kilter personality. He could knock Louis out cold in one clean punch, and definitely leave a mark; it purely wasn't worth the risk.

"You slashed his tyres," Niall broke in, standing forwards so he was next to Louis, defensively at his side. "And fucking phoned the school and told them lies about him. And now you think you have the _right_ to come here and call Louis unreasonable?"

Louis wanted to pat Niall on the back as a thank you, but the time wasn't right. Harry was smugly eyeing Niall up, his ego so distended that he could sense how scared Niall really was behind those strong words. Niall shifted under his gaze, unintentionally, and took a subtle step backwards.

"Do you guys need a lift, then?" Harry was doing it on purpose; he had ignored Niall's rebuke and reiterated his initial question with that eerily cheery tone, blatantly angling to remind Louis of their first ever encounter. "Because a car's no good if its tyres are all fucked."

Louis just stared at Harry. _Glared_ at him. He was speechless, unable to fathom how Harry could act so disturbingly without seeing the abnormality of it. Harry stared back, gaze overpowering Louis', like daggers stabbing into Louis, but the latter didn't give in. Harry was the one to speak first, after his gaze had shifted to glance over Liam and Niall, distributing the fear evenly.

"I know you think I'm hot, Louis, but that shouldn't stop you from speaking altogether." Was the response. "I mean, you did say yourself that you're still in love with me." Louis felt that lividity seering up once again, clenching his fists as he tilted his head to the side in angry disbelief.

"What do you not _understand_?" Louis hissed, looking Harry up and down in disgust. "Whatever you and I had, it's gone. Done. So whatever delusion you've created, you need to--"

"I'll hurt Liam." Harry spoke so fast, so illogically, that Louis' eyes physically widened, and he heard Liam's breath waver slightly behind him, just as, if not more, shocked as Louis by Harry's sudden proclamation. Nobody spoke a word momentarily, Harry rolling his lips together to hide his smirk, assuming he had won.

"You wouldn't dare." Louis breathed, so faintly that Harry only just heard it. It only provoked his smile to widen, and he swiftly took two large steps forward, closing the gap between he and Louis. The proximity had Louis lightly shaking, turning his head to the side as Harry's mouth lowered to reach his ear.

"Louis," He purred, hot breath making Louis densely shudder. "If you don't come with me right now, over to my house, I _will_ hurt Liam. Badly."

Louis' jaw was locked adamantly, eyes flicking to latch onto Liam, whose eyes were wide as saucers as his brain raced to wonder what Harry was whispering. He was begging Louis with his eyes, _please don't let him hurt me._ Louis didn't have much of a choice at this point in time.

"Okay." He sternly nodded, though his insides twisted in fright and it was the last thing he wanted to do. "Just not to your house." He simply said, clenching his jaw. "Somewhere else, somewhere public."

Harry had stepped back one stride, giving Louis some space, nodding lightly as he considered the deal. He then passed Louis, brushing his arm gently, so he was directly in front of Liam, who was trying his best to look tough but really was no more than a bundle of nerves. Louis knew this was a threat: Harry hadn't gotten his own way just yet, and wanted to scare Louis. Harry widely grinned at Liam, white teeth displayed, so sweetly that it was almost scary. Liam's face was unchangeable.

"Hey, Liam," He gave a quick nod, "Louis is saving your arse here. Maybe you could thank him by fucking him in the school toilets, huh." He dropped a speedy wink, face full of humour, but this transformed so quickly into possessiveness as the seconds went by. "But... of course, you wouldn't fuck him, would you? You know that he's taken."

Louis still couldn't stomach Harry's crude schema of thought; in his eyes, Louis was his, just because he had said so. His word was what went, and he frightened people into conforming.

"He's not going _anywhere_ with you." Liam justified, despite the threat he posed upon himself. "He's staying here. You're dangerous."

"And have you called the police yet, if I'm so dangerous?" Harry tilted his head to the side, nibbling idly on his lower lip. This was all a game to him.

"Harry, now is your cue to leave." Niall sternly interjected from the side, using his hand to gesture for Harry to walk away. "Louis isn't going with you, you're not hurting Liam, you're leaving right now."

"You see, Niall, that's where you're wrong." Harry smiled, almost in an infantile way, which temporarily shifted that dark personality elsewhere. "Louis just agreed to come with me, did you not hear him?"

"I will call the police if you try to make him go with you." Liam pulled out his mobile phone, animating the threat by waving it around, and Harry's eyes diverted to focus on the device. "And they will take you straight in for questioning."

"Baaad idea, Liam." Harry practically sang, cocking his head aside once again. "You wouldn't dare, would you?"

Liam held the phone screen up in Harry's sight, and Louis was holding his breath as Liam dialled the first 9. Harry's mouth pouted aside, annoyance beginning to set in, folding his arms as though he was challenging Liam.

"Go on, you're almost there." Harry taunted. Liam repeated the action, so now two 9s were displayed on the dialling pad, and Harry let out a stark laugh. "Liam, you really need to consider what the fuck I'm about to do to you if you..."

Liam ignored the warning, padding his finger onto the third 9 before pressing the call button. What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion, and Louis felt a yelp of terror leave his throat as Harry stormed forwards, grabbing Liam so forcefully by the collar that the phone fell to the gravel below, smashing open so its battery flew out. Louis desperately skidded forwards as Harry slammed Liam's body against the cold brick wall by which Louis' car was parked, so Liam's feet were hovering off the ground and he gasped for breath, hands flailing up in attempt to loosen Harry's death grip on his throat as the air was pushed forcefully from his system.

"Harry! Fucking let go of him!" Louis screamed, violently tugging at the waist of Harry's t-shirt, hands moving up to clasp harshly and tug on the tall boy's biceps, but he still didn't give. His large hands were clasped around Liam's throat, constricting his airways as Niall tried but failed to intervene, and Louis couldn't believe nobody was around to witness what was going on (especially teachers). Liam was choking for breath, spluttering as his face reddened and his eyes began fluttering shut as he began losing all of his precious breath.

"Have you decided on coming with me now, Louis?" Harry purred, turning to glance at him in the corner of his eye, and Louis hated the satisfaction laced in his tone; he enjoyed doing this. Louis felt tears welling up behind his eyes as he watched his best mate gasping for breath, Niall running his hands through his hair as he too was stuck on any solution.

"W-We'll go to the park right now, you and me, just let him go!" Louis' voice broke on the final syllable, as that barrier within him broke down and the tears flooded out of restraint.

"No. To my house. Should we go to my house, Louis, yeah?" Harry was breathless, something about this scenario almost _alluring_ him, by the sounds of it, which gave Louis so many chills.

"Okay!" Louis yelled through a sob. "To your house! I'll come with you! Just please let him go!"

Immediately Harry's hands unclasped, almost comically, and Liam dropped heavily to the ground, retching in lungfuls of oxygen before erupting into a fit of coughs. Louis' breathing was shaky as he heavily sobbed, holding the sides of his head in horror, and Niall was crouching by Liam's side and sitting him up against the wall, checking up on his wellbeing. Harry's eyes were purely on Louis, totally unphased by what he had just unleashed upon Liam, and that smirk had returned.

"Good." He grinned. "My car's parked round the corner."

* * *

"I'm so sorry..." Louis mimed to Liam, shaking his head as tears continued to roll down his cheeks, and he watched as Liam's eyes glanced between he and Harry. He looked deeply worried for Louis, despite having just been physically attacked by a murderer, and he almost reached a hand out, as though to tell Louis to come back.

But Harry was quickly leading Louis away, hand clasped possessively around his wrist, tugging him out of the car park so Louis watched his friends grow further away with each step.

"Finally, some alone time. God, some people can be such a handful." Harry sighed, and Louis could sense the radiating grin and wanted to slap it off his face. He couldn't believe the remorse which Harry lacked, literally gawping as he looked at him, and soon they reached Harry's BMW which was parked at the side of the road just outside the school grounds. He had probably guessed Louis would be searching for it as he headed out, and thus chose to hide it.

Louis could hear his heartbeat in his ears as Harry unlocked the car, opening the passenger side door for Louis, like he was a true gentleman and they were about to go on their first date. Louis scowled at Harry before stepping up into the car, slamming the door as assertively as he could, feeling the vehicle shake beneath him. Harry jogged around quickly to the driver's side, as if he were worried Louis would disappear if he took too long, jumping into the vehicle and starting the engine once they were closed in.

Louis couldn't believe what was going on. He stared forwards, wide-eyed, fingers gripping around the base of the seat beneath him as Harry pulled the car out into the road. It felt like Harry was a complete stranger again, kidnapping Louis, taking him hostage. They rolled up to a red light and Harry shifted gears as the car stopped. He whipped his head around to look at Louis: his prize.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost." He rose one eyebrow and lightly chuckled to himself. "Has something scared you, Louis?"

Louis knew that silence would be his best answer for he wanted to get back at Harry. He didn't even look at him, deciding he would keep his eyes trained ahead on the traffic filtering across the intersection in front of them. 

"I'll take that as a yes." Harry turned his attention forwards too, drumming his hands so casually on the steering wheel that Louis was wondering whether he had even _forgotten_ about the events that took place just moments ago. The light turned green, and Harry shifted into gear again before speeding through the lights.

"You better start talking soon, Louis." Harry's voice had taken to an almost warning tone of voice, breaking the silence that had crept up on them, and Louis was so deeply frightened at that point in time that his mind had lost its ability to process words. Fear had washed over him as he contemplated what Harry was planning on doing with him, or if he'd ever let him leave. Louis hoped that Harry's caring side would make an appearance soon, but for now he was internally screaming at his brain to string together some letters as a response, not wanting to anger Harry now.

"What exactly do you want me to say?" He managed, glancing over ever so quickly at Harry, whose focus was on the road that stretched out ahead of them. "It's not like I haven't already expressed to you how I'm feeling about all of this."

Harry's tongue snaked out to moisten his lower lip, before his teeth bit into where he had licked in thought. He sharply inhaled, hands tightening around the wheel.

"We will talk when we arrive at my house." The resonance of his voice was sombre and scolding, as though he was an angered parent waiting to give their child a telling off, and Louis wanted so badly to unplug his seatbelt, pull on the handle of Harry's car and roll out onto the road. He wondered what Liam and Niall were doing and thinking, wondered what his parents would do about his car and its ruptured wheels. He was going to get in _so_ much trouble for this.

They arrived at Harry's block of flats about four minutes later, pulling into its car park and into the space with Harry's appartment's number painted onto it: **128**. Louis never thought he'd ever be back here, but here they were. He was still recovering from what Harry had done to Liam, praying that his friend was alright when really he should have been praying for himself. He was following Harry through the car park and into the double doors of the building, hairs raised on the back of his neck and heart thudding.

Harry led him up to his flat, up the flight of stairs which emitted a metallic clang with each footstep, and soon Harry was patting his pocket and pulling out his keys. He looked at Louis as he stuck the key in the lock, a smile slowly spreading onto his face, but Louis broke the eye contact with no sign of a reciprocal grin.

"Cheer up, buttercup." Harry said, and he gently pushed Louis' back, as though he knew Louis wouldn't want to walk in without a little shove, and he slammed the door behind them both. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll get us both a beer."

Harry kicked off his black boots and padded across the laminate flooring in his socks, into the small kitchen which led off from the hallway, while Louis was completely frozen in place. His legs were crossed awkwardly as he stood, arms folded over himself insecurely, too afraid to get anywhere close to comfortable. It was a stupid command from Harry, Louis would never be comfortable near him again.

He could hear Harry rummaging in the fridge, before its door was shut, shaking the contents of the fridge with a tinkle sound. Harry was evidently expecting Louis still to be stood in the hallway, no surprise when he found him still stood there, and he held out a can of beer for him to take.

"I don't want it." Louis piped up. "I don't want to be here."

"Let's go into the living room. I'll put on some music, make this less awkward." Harry was in a daze, as though he had completely skipped over the part where Louis had spoken, carrying the two cans through to the living room. Louis sheepishly followed, scratching his wrist as Harry placed the cans on the glass coffee table. Louis took a seat on the sofa, after a minute or so of Harry sitting there and waiting for him to move. He scooted over until he was right against the edge of the sofa, as far from Harry as possible, picking at his nail and drawing his knees and ankles together in front of him.

He heard a breathy laugh, quiet but detectable, and he quickly glimpsed up to see Harry staring at him with an amused glint in his eye.

"What?" Louis snapped.

"You're just sat there so awkwardly." Harry sounded humoured by how anxious Louis was. It was like he had no empathy for him, completely unaware that Louis currently wanted to be a thousand miles away but was being forced to stay.

"What do you expect?" Louis snarled, not even attempting to leave out the indignation in his tone. "I'm waiting for you to fucking explain to me why I'm here. This is sick, Harry."

"I thought we could just have a nice chat. And maybe put on a film and relax." Harry was softly smiling, showcasing to Louis that he was being completely serious. He saw this as a totally normal situation, as though he hadn't just done those awful things back at the school, or in fact anywhere, and he and Louis could just go back to being happy again. He was dangerously deluded. 

Louis ogled at Harry as though he'd just grown an ear on his forehead. "Harry, are you even hearing yourself right now?"

"Yeah, I can hear myself. It'd be weird being unable to hear yourself, wouldn't it? Not knowing what you sound like, or--"

"Shut up!" Louis exploded all of a sudden, throwing his arms up in the air. "This is fucking bullshit! I don't want to be here, Harry! I don't want to see you again!"

There was a thick silence, with just the slight buzzing from the cables behind the television. Harry's face had significantly fallen, eyebrows slanted in hurt, eyes sunken.

"You don't want to see me again?" He gently queried, voice laced with pain, and Louis couldn't believe this man. Had he completely forgotten about everything that had happened? Everything Louis had told him?

"No, Harry. We had his discussion already, I said--"

"Why don't you want to see me anymore?" Harry interrupted, a forcefulness masked behind his tone. Louis was slightly on edge at the sudden change of voice, but cleared his throat and put on a confident front.

"Because you scare me, Harry." He simply put it, shrugging almost apologetically. "I don't know how else to put it."

Harry was slowly nodding, eyes empty and fixated on Louis' face. His mouth was pouted in annoyance once again, hands locked together in his lap.

"I scare everyone, Louis."

Louis felt bad. He had been Harry's only close friend, other than Zayn (who evidently had his own problems to deal with) and now he was kicking Harry out of his life. But it was all in good reason.

"It's hardly surprising, Harry. I mean, I'm not going to be able to forgive what you just did to Liam. Why was there any need for that?"

"I need to change my t-shirt." Harry used a push on his knees to raise to his feet, and Louis' eyebrows crumpled at the change of topic. It was strange; Harry's t-shirt was fine, he didn't need to change it. It was an excuse. "I'll be back."

Louis was going to protest, ask Harry why he wasn't answering him, but then it crossed his mind that he could leave Harry's flat and make his escape while he was gone. That way he wouldn't have to ask, just leave. _Run for his life._

But it was as though Harry had read Louis' mind. He was halfway towards the door to his bedroom when he stopped in his tracks, twisting on his feet and quickly heading into the hallway without a word. A moment later Louis heard the key twisting in the door, and the shiny piece of metal was in Harry's hand as he crossed back through the living room. He turned to Louis, waving the key with a smirk, and Louis shot back a look of disbelief. He was being locked in.

"Oh, and can I have your phone, Louis?"

"Fuck no!" Louis exclaimed, holding his hand over the pocket which occupied it. "Why would I give you my fucking phone? What are you planning on doing?"

"I just don't want you texting those ratty friends about me." Harry shook his head in disgust when he thought about Niall and Liam. "Phone. Please?"

Louis had no idea why he complied, slapping his phone into Harry's palm. Maybe it was the death glare he received. Harry knew what he was doing, and he did it effectively. Harry entered his bedroom with a slam, slipping Louis' phone into his back pocket. The slam made Louis' head spin even more than it already was. He was absolutely trapped, held hostage, with no means of communication. He could have text Niall and asked for him to send over Louis' dad, but now they'd have no idea how to find him; they didn't know Harry's address.

Louis tried digging deep into his heart, hoping Harry would act sweetly towards him and not lay a single finger on him, but he was scared to death. Why did Harry need to lock Louis into his home, despite how uncomfortable he was? It was highly unnerving.

Harry had been five minutes, according to the digital clock on top of the wooden DVD case, and he still wasn't back. Louis grew curious, wondering whether Harry was on his phone, but then remembered that it had a passcode on it (luckily.) When it reached eight minutes, Louis rose from the sofa.

"Harry?" He was surprised by the confidence in his voice. "It's been almost ten minutes, how long does it take to change a t-shirt?"

"Sorry, come in. I just had to email my boxing instructor, got a bit caught up in it." Harry's voice replied, with a genuine tone. Louis didn't want to go in there. He felt as though Harry would pounce on him and throw a net over his head, something stupid like that, but he knew he was being unreasonable. He strolled over to the door and pushed down the doorhandle, an eerie creak sounding as the door slowly swung open under gravity's will. Harry was lying on his stomach on his bed, facing away from Louis with his laptop on the bed in front of him. He was idly typing away at the screen, a hefty paragraph already taking up the box on the screen, and Louis had to peel his eyes off Harry's body and remember that this was the boy who had not so long ago attacked his best friend. And who had killed two men in his dark past.

Well, at least Harry was telling the truth. His t-shirt was plain white now, having been black before, and he really was writing an email. He glanced back over his shoulder, flashing Louis a dimpled smile, before returning his attention to the screen. Louis really had missed Harry. _Fuck_ , he couldn't get lured back in, Harry was an awful person... most of the time. And he had hurt Liam. Louis had to remember that.

"Sorry, it was rude of me not to tell you." Harry mused, as Louis remained awkwardly in the doorway, "Shouldn't have just left you out there. I much rather prefer you being in my bedroom, anyway."

"Harry." Louis sternly warned, having to say no more for Harry to understand. Harry's response was a stark laugh, shoulders bobbing lightly as he chuckled away. He wasn't getting any of this. Louis wanted to leave and go home, get away from him, but he was acting as though Louis had consented to coming round. "I'd like to go home now."

Harry dramatically hit send on his keyboard, finger tapping down onto the mousepad, before slamming his laptop lid closed and moving the device aside. He sat up with a deep sigh, legs folded up in front of him as his eyes fell onto Louis.

"Why? Have you got something you need to be doing?"

"Harry, I swear to God! Please stop doing this, those stupid, smart-arse comments! You _know_ I don't want to be here, you're just pushing it now." Louis grumbled, running his hands down his face and groaning aloud. "Please let me leave."

"We haven't even spoken yet, Louis." Harry's eerie smile was back. "We can have a nice, long conversation about why you don't want to see me anymore. You can tell me absolutely _everything_ you hate about me, how's that? Either that, or you make out with me, here on my bed, right now."

So Louis was getting stupid choices now. He was in no position to do either of those ludicrous suggestions, especially describing to Harry why he didn't want see him anymore. It was putting him on the spot, while the latter option would make Harry even more obsessed (and maybe spark something in Louis again, his feelings towards Harry.) He really wanted to kiss Harry, he realised. But there was that burning in the back of his mind, _dont fucking do it._ So far, Harry had done so many things to Louis since they stopped seeing each other, yet something within Louis really wanted to be on top of Harry again.

"You've been staring at me for a minute, Louis." Harry smirked, snapping Louis back into reality. "Are you thinking about making out with me?"

"No." Louis quickly interjected. "But you're taking me home. Now."

"Am I, now?" Harry rose an eyebrow, with a sharp laugh that lacked all humour. "When did I agree to that?"

"And when did I fucking agree to seeing you again?!" Louis raged, fed up of the hypocrisy as Harry tried to switch the blame.

"While I was strangling your best friend." Harry gritted, with a hint of smugness, and Louis immediately turned on his feet and stormed from the room. He didn't know what he was planning on doing as he tore through the living room, towards the front door, tugging angrily on the doorhandle the moment he reached it.

"LET ME OUT!" He roared, the anger getting too much as it bubbled up inside him. "HARRY!"

Said boy walked quickly through the living, towards Louis, harshly shushing him and using his hands to gesture for him to calm down. "Louis, it's okay. I'm sorry I upset you, please lower your voice."

"LOWER MY VOICE?" Louis purposely rose it, getting right up in Harry's face. "HOW'S THIS, HARRY?!"

He was surprised Harry didn't hit him. By the looks of things, it didn't even cross his mind. He looked mad, of course he did, but it was an easily resolved anger that flared up only slightly behind his eyes.

"Please, Louis. These walls are thin, people will complain."

Louis' throat already felt too raw to reply. He just stared at Harry with anger, fists balled at his sides, and Harry stared back with softening eyes. Louis flinched as Harry's hands clasped tightly onto his shoulders, in a tight, tranquil grip.

"Louis, it's okay." He calmly cooed, thumbs stroking over where they lay. "I'm just finding it really hard to express to you how I feel."

Louis felt a trickle of sympathy, and for a moment or two he really felt like listening to what Harry had to say. But he remembered what he had done so far, what he had said, and he was so conflicted. 

And as he looked into Harry's eyes, he saw the boy he had fallen in love with. Nothing more or less.

"I know you are." Louis sighed, shrugging out of Harry's grip. "I really want you to fix the way you think, Harry."

"I wish I could."

Louis' eyes darted to his feet, the eye contact having become too much, but he knew Harry was still staring.

"If this doesn't work out between us, Louis," Harry started, and Louis momentarily had a dose of hope that Harry would finally give up on him. Momentarily. "Then I don't know what I'll do. You're everything to me." Oh.

"Harry, things already haven't worked out." Louis broke it to him, tilting his head to the side as he looked up again at Harry. "I'm sorry. We tried."

He saw Harry's eyes glass over suddenly, a sudden flash of emotions, before a sharp sniff sounded from him. He was crying. Tears started rolling down his cheeks, which his hand darted up to wipe away, and Louis just stared in awe. He had never seen someone break into tears so quickly before in his life.

"Harry, I'm sorry." He reiterated, but he didn't reach out to comfort him. It's what Harry wanted. Harry didn't reply, he just span on his feet and headed speedily towards his bedroom again, entering it and very softly shutting the door behind him.

He left Louis in the hallway.


	34. Chapter 34

Louis didn't know what to do. He was stood motionless in the hallway, staring across the living room at the bedroom door which Harry had fled into, heart lightly thudding as guilt started flooding into him. He had caused Harry to cry and effectively run off like a child, just by confirming once and for all that what they once had was gone.

He didn't have the choice to leave the house, as the door was locked and Harry had the key. Had the door been unlocked, he still would have wanted to regain his mobile phone before making a run for it, but Harry still had that tucked away in his pocket. He couldn't exactly stand there until something happened, because God knows how long that would be. Plus, he couldn't leave someone as emotionally unstable as Harry alone when he was upset.

He padded across the laminate flooring of the living room, nearing the bedroom door, and he pressed his ear against the cool wood and listened. He could hear subtle sniffs and sobs from the other side, faintly, as though Harry was trying to suppress them and keep them private. All Louis wanted to do was throw that door open and lock Harry into a tight hug, but he knew he still had to keep that boundary between them. He couldn't go inflating Harry's hopes again, it wasn't fair.

He gently knocked on the door, a soft rap of his knuckles, hearing the snivelling stop altogether on the other side, and there was a delay before he heard a reply.

"What?" There was pain behind his voice, the word slightly broken and rasped out. Louis sighed before responding.

"I'm sorry for making you cry, Harry. Can I come in?" He softly inquired, a hand already planted on the doorhandle and ready to enter the room.

"Why? You've already broken my heart. I don't want to see your face right now." Harry grumbled back. Louis rolled his eyes, safe from Harry's sights, before thinking up a reply. He wanted to mention how Harry had his phone and the key to his escape but he knew how insensitive it would sound. Harry was clearly hurting, it would only worsen the situation.

"I can at least give you a hug, can't I? We may not be together, Harry, and you may not have been the friendliest of individuals towards my friends, but I still don't want you being sad."

The hesitation of Harry's next words was more prolonged than before, as if he was really considering what had been said. Then there was another sharp sniff.

"If I hug you, I won't want to let you go."

It hurt Louis on the inside. Harry was so in love with him, it was painful. He didn't know how to possibly respond but he knew that something inside of him wouldn't want to let Harry go either. He wanted to bury his face into his chest forever, forget about all that had happened.

"Can I come in to talk then? I feel stupid talking through a door." Louis resolved, drumming his fingers on the wood to emphasise the boundary.

"Come in." Harry flatly commanded. Louis wasn't expecting him to give in so quickly, and for the second time that evening Louis was creaking open that door to find Harry on his bed. He was sat against the headboard and his legs were crossed, hands resting in his lap and head bowed. He didn't want to look at Louis.

"Oh, Harry." Louis sadly sighed, perching himself quite warily on the edge of Harry's bed. "I don't want you being like this."

Harry's head raised suddenly. His eyes held a tinge of pink, glistening with fresh tears, and his cheeks were rosy. It was the youngest Louis had ever seen him look, and for the time being he just looked so defenceless and innocent.

"If you don't want me being like this," He began, voice ragged with previous crying, "then why can't we just be together?"

It was starting all over again, like a vicious, never-ending circle. It seemed as though Louis had explained countless numbers of times why he didn't want to be with Harry anymore, yet here he was being grilled on it again. He couldn't seem to get it into his head.

"Harry, I've already explained why. I just care about you-"

"You're still in love with me, Louis. Why isn't that enough?"

Well shit. Louis found himself rising to his feet again to hover by the door. On the emotional scale of things, Harry was right. Louis was still very much in love, within the deepest depths of his heart, and when he looked at Harry he was sure of it. But he had been convinced by his friends to start following his head more, opposed to his heart. Harry was a danger and that was surely able to override the romantic side to things.

Louis realised that he had left a considerable silence lingering in the room as he entered his own mind again, searching for an answer. Harry was watching him expectantly, head tiled aside slightly, eyebrows furrowed. He was taking this very seriously and Louis didn't know whether or not that was a good thing.

"Because, Harry," Louis slowly began, tugging nervously on his sleeve, "There's more to it than just being in love..."

He didn't even believe his own words.

"What then, reputation?" Harry snapped. His voice had suddenly taken on an argumentative tone, Louis could sense another argument looming and he just wanted to be at his house, away from Harry for now.

 _Reputation._ Was Harry right in saying that? Louis wasn't so much saving his image from being shattered, it was more of the fact that Harry was a very sufficient threat to the lives of his friends and family. But he knew that he could easily hurt Harry with his words, he had to tread carefully.

"No, it's not about reputation, it's more... about how you _are_."

Louis had hardly softened the blow, immediately he regretted the way he had worded it, watching Harry calculating it in his mind. He added up the gist of things.

"How I _am_. I'm an awful person." Harry worded slowly. Louis felt frustration at how much déjà vu he got whenever he had a conflict with Harry; he was certain they'd spoken about this in the past at some point.

"For goodness sake, Harry, stop putting yourself down! I'm sure you will find someone who will love you like I did, but--"

"Like you _do_ , Louis. You still love me." Harry reminded. Louis really wished he hadn't said what he had to Niall on the phone because now Harry knew, and he definitely wasn't planning on letting him forget it. Louis didn't reply for a while. The silence was surprisingly comfortable, and he chose something out of the blue to change the conversation to, figuring they had exhausted the previous topic.

"Could I please text my mum? She will be wondering why I'm not home. And I need to tell her about my car." Louis idly scratched the back of his neck. He should have still been angry at Harry for having slashed his wheels, he should have been yelling at him, but that dominance that Harry possessed ceased Louis from doing this. Was he scared? Yes.

"I'll pay for the new wheels." Harry's apology. Louis wanted to sassily interject with _"you shouldn't have done it in the first place"_ but chose to leave it. He simply gave a nod, knowing that a Thank You would be far fetched seeing as Harry had done something so horrible. Paying for replacement wheels was the least he could do.

"Just tell me what you want to say to your mum, I'll type out the message."

"Harry, I want you to realise right now how ridiculous you're being." Louis grumbled, finding himself pacing lightly back and forth in the room. "You should let me go home now. We've spoken enough."

"You still haven't told me why love isn't enough."

Louis came to an abrupt, irritated halt. He wanted to smash his head against the wall until he could no longer see or hear Harry. Every single credible thing Harry was saying caused Louis to lose a dose of adamance. He could feel himself letting down his guard, that front he had put on to protect himself from falling for Harry once again. This boy had gone so far as to spy on Louis with a hidden microphone and assault his friend, yet Louis couldn't help himself. His brain ached as he scoured the files of his mind for a suitable answer.

"Just because two people are in love, that doesn't mean they're... compatible with each other." Louis hated his own answer. He knew it was quite a brainless comment, and judging by Harry's scathing glare, he thought this too. Louis realised that he was still lingering near the door of the room, rubbing his hands up and down the sides of his thighs as sweat began to coat his palms, while Harry remained calmly on the bed. Their body language screamed how settled they were within the situation; Harry was almost wholly unfazed, whereas Louis wanted to run.

Harry drew in a long, controlled breath through his nose, shutting his eyes for the briefest moment, as though considering what his reply would be, and Louis was really wondering about what Liam and Niall were doing then. He wondered whether his phone had missed calls and worried text messages from them.

"I haven't been sleeping well these past couple of weeks." Harry said. Louis was surprised at the sudden change of topic but was slightly relieved all the same, Harry having steered away from Louis' stupid comment. "I've been thinking about that time you slept in my bed, next to me."

Louis remembered that vividly - specifically the part where Harry made him cum. _God,_ just thinking about it made his stomach do flips. Harry was so hot, _so_ hot, Louis didn't think he'd ever been so sexually attracted to anyone before in his whole life. But Harry was so messed up: his brain was like a large bundle of cords, strewn together but with missing links, with broken pathways. He wasn't psychologically complete.

Louis had been trapped in his thoughts once again and had left Harry's previous statements unanswered. He had delved into his mind once again to pick around his feelings for Harry; trying to gain any sense of maturity; trying to develop a disdain for Harry. It seemed virtually impossible.

"That was a one-off," Louis chose his words carefully. "What happened that night wasn't even that intense, Harry. I don't want you to get captivated by something so minor, I'd like you to forget about that."

"It's just nice having someone lying there next to you when you wake up. I'm used to having nothing I guess."

Harry's words were crafted intricately every time in order to make Louis feel awful. He had his own snide way of doing it, and it worked every time. Louis really wished Harry was a normal person, as much as he hated his judgements of Harry being _abnormal_ , but it would never be that way.

"Everyone deserves waking up next to someone, Harry. You just have to find the right person, that's just not me."

Harry made a hum to himself, almost of consideration. Louis found himself perching on the edge of Harry's bed once again, desperate for Harry to realise how obsessed and deluded he had become. Louis still had his shoes on, having felt too awkward to remove them upon arrival, so he slid them off by the bed so he could draw his feet up, crossing his legs in front of him. Harry was watching Louis carefully. There was a heavy silence as Harry's eyes interrogated Louis, inspecting every element of his face. He looked just about as riveted as a gemologist examining the rarest of diamonds.

"I want you to kiss me, Louis."

Louis looked at Harry squarely, searching for the slightest hint of hilarity on his face, waiting for the crack of a smile. There wasn't one. Harry, from across the double bed, had an unchangeable expression as he eyed Louis.

"I know you do." He simply put it, not wanting to turn onto that road again, where he was close to giving in. He couldn't, for Liam's sake. And Niall's. And his family's. And maybe his _own._

"Just so you can prove to me that you don't want this anymore. That you just want to give it up."

Louis was worried now. He knew that if he didn't kiss Harry, he may never be allowed to leave. And if he did kiss him, he could melt into it entirely and throw all his mature decisions to the wind - fuck it all.

"That's hardly good for you, Harry, when you're going to have to learn to let me go." Louis challenged, hugging his knees in front of him. He rested his chin on the top of them as he looked over Harry's gesture.

"Please just do this for me. If you kiss me, I'll let you leave." Harry proposed the deal. Louis was stuck now on what to do. So if he didn't kiss Harry, he was effectively going to be held captive until he did decide to pucker up. So immature.

"You should let me leave anyway. It's the human thing to do-"

"I just want to see what happens if we kiss again." Harry sternly said. "Please."

Louis deeply inhaled, shrugging slowly. If he could really control himself and use all of his inner will to try not to feel anything in the kiss, he could prove it to Harry that they were finished. He hardly had much of a choice anymore, which was what Harry was usually leaving him with.

"The quickest kiss known to man," He gave in. "And I swear, if you try anything more, I will throw you out of that window, do you understand me?"

Harry's face didn't change as Louis thought it would - no celebratory grin, no glint in his eyes; just a small nod. Louis awkwardly cleared his throat, not wanting to be the one to awkwardly crawl over to Harry's side of the bed. Harry seemed unsure of how to make this work too, without things getting tense.

"Come and sit next to me."

Louis did that, shifting closer, feeling as though he was edging towards his inevitable fate. Harry was going to capture his heart again if he wasn't careful, he had to detach himself and try to imagine something else. Maybe he could pretend it was Niall instead of Harry, that was sure to put him off.

The moment he gazed up and into Harry's eyes, the mental image of Niall diminished and all he saw was how beautiful the reflective greens were. He had to shut his eyes briefly to save himself from getting lost in Harry's eyes.

"Are you ready for the quickest kiss known to man?" Harry's smirk had finally returned, as their faces were about thirty centimetres apart.

"Please just hurry up, come on." Louis urged. He clenched his eyes shut, feeling like a childish primary school student being forced to kiss somebody in spin the bottle. He first felt Harry's hand on his cheek, caressing the soft skin, and was already burning up due to how affected he already was. Then Harry's face closed in and their lips were together.

Louis had no idea what he was doing, but it was like his lips suddenly had a mind of their own. The second Harry's lips began moving against his, he replicated the movement, so that their lips moved passionately together. It was instantly fast paced, as though it had been long awaited, and Louis wanted to stop himself but he couldn't.

Harry's hand slid down from Louis' cheek as the kiss sped up, resting it instead on his hip, while Louis' mind screamed at him: _What are you doing?! This boy could have killed your friend today, like those two men..._

Louis let Harry push him back onto the bed, so Harry was lying above him, without breaking the passionate kiss. Louis felt like he was shuddering, hating himself but also never wanting Harry to stop kissing him. Harry was deepening the kiss then, as one of his hands tangled into Louis' hair, the other holding his weight off of Louis, sliding his tongue into Louis' mouth so expertly.

Louis tasted Harry's mouth. It was the sweetest thing, almost a taste he recognised from last time, and he allowed himself to slide his hands under Harry's t-shirt to glide over the hot skin of his soft hips.

What in the world was he doing? This was the worst possible outcome from this, he wanted to prove to Harry that he didn't need him but _he really did._ Fuck, Harry was all he needed now. He didn't care how smug Harry was going to be after this, or how regretful he himself would be for having continued with it.

Louis found his hands tugging on the hem of Harry's t-shirt, something in his brain wanting to see Harry's top half exposed now, and Harry speedily broke the kiss, heavily panting as he pulled at his t-shirt, leaving it carelessly on the ground. Then he was making out with Louis again, so fast and with so much desire that Louis could feel his head spinning. Louis' fingertips skimmed down Harry's back, a ghostly tickle down the hot skin, and he realised that this was all he wanted right now. Harry. Nothing more or less.

Then Harry stopped the kiss again, panting, deciding he would start taking off Louis' t-shirt, most likely too scared to ask for permission in case Louis suddenly wised up and stopped what was happening. It joined his on the floor. Harry slid his hands up Louis' abdomen, making Louis shiver, in awe over something as simple as that, and then his head dipped down and his plump lips attached to Louis' jaw. Louis tilted his head upwards, exposing the expanse of skin beneath his chin, shakily exhaling as Harry left a trail of wet kisses all along his jaw and down his neck. Louis was no longer thinking of anything negative about Harry. He couldn't.

Harry's kisses led down Louis' chest, down his heaving stomach, leaving Louis writhing on the bed beneath him as his body reacted. Harry made the most of Louis' lightly toned, exposed stomach, appreciatively kissing all over it, and Louis wound his fingers into Harry's curls, basking in the feeling his lips left.

Harry climbed back up until he was nose to nose with Louis, eyeing him gently, facial expression the epitome of yearning: he craved Louis.

"I want to make love to you." He whispered, voice thick with arousal. "Right now."

Louis did nothing but nod. What was he doing? He had no idea. But his mind clouded over Harry's words and all he wanted was _him._

Harry flipped them over, sitting Louis on top of him, so Louis' palms were planted on his chest for stability. Harry looked so perfect lying there like that, lips parted with heavy breaths and eyes glowing with lust. Louis felt his stomach dip as Harry reached down for his own belt, tugging at it so it came unattached with a clink, pulling out the belt and throwing it down to the floor. Louis couldn't function properly from the thought of Harry being completely naked. It was something, admittedly, he had tried to imagine since the night they made each other cum.

Harry was gazing deeply into Louis' eyes, unpopping the button of his jeans and tugging down the zip. Louis watched in awe, moving off of Harry momentarily, kneeling by his side to allow him to pull those skintight jeans off. There was already a large bulge outlined in his boxers. Louis swallowed thickly at the sight because _wow._

"Do you see what you do to me, Louis?" Harry lowly asked, eyes flicking from the tented underwear to Louis' eyes. Louis couldn't take his eyes away from it. He felt too frozen to even say anything, let alone touch Harry. He simply hitched in a breath and nodded sternly. "Touch me, don't be scared."

Louis didn't know why he was so terrified. He straddled Harry's thighs once again, lowering his hand to grip onto Harry's protruding hip, sliding his thumb over the pronounced v-line, then let his other hand grip Harry's dick through the material of his underwear. Harry wet his lips with his tongue before releasing a harsh breath, a rush of air which maybe he had been suppressing, and Louis let his hand slide over Harry's dick through the cotton.

He too was growing hard just at the feel of it. It certainly wasn't small. Harry's reaction to the touches was just flawless, a throaty moan, his head falling back to rest against the bed's headboard. Louis decided to pull down the waistband and let Harry's dick spring up, hitting his stomach.

"Fuck yes," Louis breathed, inspecting Harry's beautiful cock. It was ever-so-slightly curved, a favourable size in both length and girth, its tip pink with a bead of pre-cum forming at the slit. The way it lay there against Harry's abs made Louis grow hot under his skin, arousal making home in every cell of his being. Harry's eyes were still shut, breathing ragged as he waited for Louis to do something for any relief. Louis gathered some saliva in his mouth before letting it drop down onto Harry's dick, earning a hummed out moan from him as Louis used the spit as a lube.

He gripped Harry's dick, feeling it hot and throbbing in his hand, biting his lip as he began wanking Harry's dick slowly. Harry raked a large hand through his curls, shaking his head lightly as though he couldn't believe he had gotten so lucky. Louis sped up the movement of his hand, jerking Harry off faster. Harry let out a quiet groan as Louis' fist repetitively slapped against his stomach with each stroke, watching Harry's stomach tense and untense in pleasure.

Louis loved seeing Harry react to it, his purely sexy ways of reacting turning Louis on to the point where his dick was restraining against the fabric of his underwear and jeans. He held Harry's dick against his stomach by the base, dipped his head down and licked a fat streak up the underside of Harry's cock, earning a loud moan in return, and Harry's hands to come down and attach themselves into his hair. Louis turned his attention to Harry's balls, running his tongue over them, cupping them into his mouth, so Harry made his first spoken outburst.

"Louis..." It was a euphoric whisper, eyes tightly shut and hands gripping Louis' feathery hair. Louis released Harry's balls from his mouth before turning his head sideways, so Harry's dick slid between his lips, gliding his head all the way up to the tip. Harry used his hands in Louis' hair to guide his mouth over his dick, gently bobbing the boy's head up and down, enough to have him moaning again but not to make Louis gag. Louis liked a challenge; he was going to make this blowjob absolutely filthy.

He linked eyes with Harry as he lowered his head around Harry's massive shaft, taking it as far as he could, nose not even reaching his stomach before the head had brushed the back of his throat, and he was choking but holding his head there.

"Fucking good boy," Harry breathed, and Louis couldn't get enough of the low, desirable tone. Louis gagged again as Harry moved his dick further in the tiniest bit, Louis having to move his mouth off with a loud gag in order to catch a breath. A string of saliva ran from his moistened lower lip to the head of Harry's cock, and as soon as he had caught his breath back his mouth had returned to its previous position right around his dick. He opened out his throat and took in as much as he could, Harry's hands carefully guiding his head down lower, not wanting to choke him but longing for his whole dick to be encased in the hot, wet heat of Louis' mouth.

Louis began bobbing his head, jacking off the part of Harry's cock that his mouth couldn't reach, and Harry had one hand clasped behind his head while the other was guiding Louis'. Louis was choking with almost every movement downwards of his head, but he was handling it. He'd do anything at that moment to hear Harry's sounds of pleasure. He removed his head once again, a trail of saliva down his chin as he looked up at Harry, hand still working on pumping his dick. Harry breathily laughed as he swiped away the spit with his thumb, gazing fondly at Louis.

"I want to see the rest of you." He whispered, as though a voice of any higher volume could shatter the moment. "Can I?"

Louis let go of Harry's dick, so it fell against his stomach again, full and hard, and he answered the question by getting up on his knees, kneeling above Harry's waist, and undoing his own jeans now. Harry bit his lip as he watched, his hand working over his cock as he watched Louis shuffling out of the jeans. Louis loved seeing Harry touching himself.

"Look who else is hard," Harry commented, swiping his tongue over his lips as he eyed the bulge in Louis' boxers. "And that fucking _arse_ , Louis. I need to touch you."

Louis hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his boxers, slipping them down so his dick was released. It wasn't as big as Harry's but it was a reasonable size, bobbing against his stomach as he knelt over Harry. He threw his underwear to the floor, all of his insecurities going away as Harry's eyes glazed over with lust.

"Oh my _fuck_ -" Harry faltered, eyes drinking in the naked sight of Louis in front of him. He wrapped his free hand around Louis' dick, already slick with pre-cum, so Louis bit his lip and let out a quiet whimper of relief at the touch. He lightly thrust into Harry's palm, having longed for the feeling, briefly shutting his eyes as the pleasure consumed his stomach. Harry wanked their cocks at the same pace, mouth hanging open in pleasure and concentration, loving the way Louis' face had changed. "Lie on your stomach, Louis."

Harry released his hand from Louis' dick, and Louis hated the withdrawal but did as Harry had commanded, lying down into the warm space that Harry had moved from. He heard a drawled out, lustful groan as Harry looked over his plump bum, which curved upwards from his back. Louis had lay his left cheek on the backs of his hands against the pillow, lightly grinding his hips against the sheets beneath him to gain some temporary relief.

He let out a sharp breath and a wavered moan as Harry's hand slapped harshly against one side of his arse, before his hand kneaded the skin, one hand on each plump cheek of Louis' bum. Louis was still rotating his hips against the bed, loving the feeling of Harry's large hands on him, constantly longing for more pleasure. The tingle of the rough slap was so painful but felt so good.

"Such a beautiful fucking arse." Harry panted, officially the most turned on Louis had heard him yet, still kneading at the the skin. "Fucking incredible, Louis."

Louis hummed out a prolonged moan in response. "Want your fingers inside me."

Never had he had anything inside of him before, but he was hit with such an intense wave of longing for Harry's fingers deep inside of him. Harry responded to Louis' request with a breathy curse word, before his hands left Louis' skin momentarily. Louis could hear him rummaging through the bedside table drawer, then the snap of what must have been the lid of a lube bottle being opened.

"Gonna open you up, nice and slowly." Harry purred, causing Louis' stomach to flip again. "Do you want that, Louis?"

"Y-Yeah," Louis stuttered, writhing against the bed again so his dick slid over the soft cotton of the bedsheets. He then heard the lube lid being snapped closed again, and Harry's deep, aroused breaths.

"I want you to spread your arse for me, Louis," Harry instructed. Louis lifted his hands, one hand taking each cheek and spreading himself open as Harry had told him, completely exposing himself. Harry once again throatily moaned, this time at the sight of Louis' tight hole. "There's a good boy, just like that, yeah..."

Louis shivered as he felt a sudden coldness against his hole, realising that it was Harry's lubed up index finger. He experimentally rubbed it over Louis' hole, the feeling causing Louis' stomach to stir in a mix of confused feelings. It felt strange, that's what he concluded.

"Should I?" Harry asked, pointing the finger against Louis' entrance.

"Do it," Louis breathed, trying to relax his body. "Slide it inside me, Harry."

Harry slowly twisted the slicked up finger inside of Louis' intense heat, trying to bite back a groan as he felt Louis tightening around his intruding finger. Louis' face was scrunched up in pain, away from Harry's vision, biting down on his lower lip until he could taste the metallic tang of blood.

"You're so tight, how does that feel?" Harry whispered, trying to mask how turned on this was making him in order to check up on Louis.

"H-Hurts." Louis laughed out the stutter, trying to use humour to cover up the pain. "But I want you to keep going."

Harry nodded to himself and slowly retracted his finger which drew a long groan of discomfort from Louis. "I know it hurts, Louis, but it won't be so bad soon. Promise."

Louis nodded, eyes still clenched shut, as Harry pushed the finger back inside at a slightly quicker pace.

"Just do it. Add another."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Please." Louis could no longer wait for more pain, he just wanted to take it all in one go. He felt Harry's middle finger squeezing in alongside the index one. Louis choked out a pained whimper, biting down on the pillow beneath his hands, pulling it in his teeth as the pain seered in his lower half. Harry's long fingers moved all the way inside of him, stretching him out by scissoring outwards, and Louis couldn't believe how painful this was. He was shaking his head lightly.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No, no, please don't." Louis panted. Harry continued, drawing his fingers out so the tips of the remained, then pushing them in again and scissoring them outward again. Louis tried to find an ounce of pleasure but failed. How could this be considered pleasurable? He wasn't sure whether he regretted this part yet.

"I'm going to add a third in, Louis." Before Louis even had time to react, Harry's ring finger was sliding in too, so Louis' breath was uneven in pain. He felt like he was going to implode.

"Fucking hurts."

"It will get better, please trust me."

Louis didn't know whether Harry could be trusted generally, but right now he trusted him more than anything.

Harry moved the three digits in and out together, flexing them all out to stretch open Louis' tight walls, biting his lip as he worked his fingers in and out, slowly quickening the pace. Louis' breathing seemed to be getting heavier as the minutes went by. Harry reached a faster pace with his hand, working his fingers faster inside of Louis.

"Feels," Louis panted, "kind of good."

A pleasant, warm wave had overcome Louis as he got used to the feeling, his hands gripping to the pillow. He loved the feeling suddenly of being full, having something working in and out of him, and it dawned on him then that something could fill him up even more. He was terrified but ready.

"I want you to fuck me," Louis had reached back and tugged at Harry's wrist, so he removed his fingers from Louis and wiped then against the already dirtied sheets.

" _Fuck,_ are you sure?" Harry panted. Louis turned over so he was on his back, finally able to see Harry's darkened eyes and red, bitten lips once again.

"Yes. Please." Louis found himself begging again, glancing up at Harry through his eyelashes. "Want you inside me."

Harry was speedily nodding, reaching over to that drawer again, this time to retrieve a condom. He ripped off the top of it with his teeth, not wasting any time in rolling it onto his large cock, to the base. Louis was watching hungrily, working his hand over his own dick as he did, watching Harry squirt a generous amount of lube over his covered dick.

"Hold your legs under your knees and lift them up for me, Louis," He instructed. Louis quickly complied, so his knees were at the sides of his chest, and Harry was smiling to himself at the sight. He applied some more lube to his fingertips, spreading it over Louis' hole quickly before throwing the lube bottle in the open drawer. He moved close to Louis, hovering over him, and it all suddenly became so real: Harry was about to fuck him. They were nose to nose, and Louis hitched in a breath as he felt the head of Harry's experimentally nudging against his entrance, getting him used to the intrusion.

"You want this dick inside you, huh?" Harry purred, voice a tamed whisper. "I'm gonna fucking give it to you, Louis."

Louis shivered in arousal. He replied with his eyes, a stare of passion and longing, directly into Harry's. They retained the eye contact as Harry pushed his dick into Louis, just the head, and Louis immediately sucked in a harsh breath and held it.

"Breathe, baby." Harry whispered. "I don't want you passing out. It's happened before."

Louis would have laughed if it wasn't for the tearing pain, as though he was being ripped open as Harry pushed further into him. He heaved in breaths, fingernails digging into his thighs as he held them, eyebrows crinkling together in pain.

"You're doing so well, keep breathing for me." Harry encouraged, continuing to push himself into Louis while his hands were planted either side of Louis for balance. Their foreheads were pressed together, eyes centimetres apart and staring into one another's. Soon, Harry was all the way inside, and Louis could barely breathe. Each breath was broken and ragged, bottom lip quivering, toes curling. "Good boy, Louis."

"F-Fucking kills," Louis managed, quieter than a whisper, trying to find an ounce of pleasure as he looked deeply into those green orbs. Harry reached down for Louis' cock, wanking on it to decrease the pain. It worked, and Louis moaned low at the pleasure it gave.

"I'm going to move now, is that okay?"

"Yeah, do it." Louis agreed, breathlessly nodding. Harry drew his slim hips backwards, so his dick slid with some friction out of Louis, and Louis winced and shut his eyes. Harry kissed around his chin and jaw, trying to soften the pain again, moving his hips out again, then in.

"You're fucking _huge_ , oh my lord." Louis whispered, frozen still. It felt like he couldn't move; like he was paralysed with pain. Harry didn't reply, concentrated on making Louis feel good. He began slowly rotating his hips inside Louis, groaning deeply to himself, and Louis felt something them. Harry's dick brushed against something sensitive.

" _Fuck yes,_ " Louis breathed, voice slightly higher. "Oh my God, that feels so good."

The pleasure was starting to win its battle against the pain. Louis felt his stomach filling with bliss, like he was on cloud nine, head falling back onto the pillow. Harry smirked to himself at Louis' reaction, finding a steady pace as he thrust his cock in and out, holding onto Louis' hips. He watched his dick disappear and reappear with each thrust, moaning lowly to himself at the thought. Louis drew out a long, pleasurable whimper, head still on the pillow, eyes fluttering shut.

"You feel so fucking good," Harry grunted out, "So tight, _shit, Louis._ "

"Fuck me, Harry," He breathed, filthily. "Harder. Fuck me faster."

Harry did just that. He gradually sped up his movements, thrusting in and out faster now. Louis' mouth dropped open and he gasped, no sound coming out, staring deep into Harry's eyes as he started grinding his hips down on Harry's dick, unable to get enough of the feeling, his stomach flipping over and over again in pleasure. It still wasn't enough. He managed to catch his breath back after the change in speed.

"Fucking faster, do it, e-even harder." There was a demanding tone in his voice suddenly, followed by a groan.

"You want it real hard and fast, yeah?" Harry purred, right into Louis' ear. "Are you sure?" His hot breath made Louis shiver.

Louis nodded, face burying into the crook of Harry's neck. Harry's hips sped up impossibly faster, until he was pounding in and out of Louis, so fast that the headboard began thrashing loudly against the wall, _thump, thump, thump._

The loud slapping of skin filled the air, and Louis let out a broken 'ah' with each harsh thrust, letting go of his legs so they dropped down, holding onto Harry's biceps for dear life. Harry's lips found Louis' again, roughly making out with him, and Louis' sharp moan with each thrust was muffled against Harry's lips. Louis began pumping his dick along with the thrusts, breathing completely uneven and closed-mouthed whimpers erupting from his throat. Harry's mouth left his, resting their foreheads together again as the hard fucking continued, a harsh slap of skin with each one.

"F-F-F-" Louis struggled to finish the swear word, each time getting cut off by a moan, face falling back against Harry's shoulder, muffling a moan against the skin. He was speedily jacking himself off along with the thrusts, hearing Harry's breathing gradually becoming more ragged as the pounding went on.

"I'm close," He managed, in Louis' ear. "Want you to cum too."

Louis was working on it, hand pumping fast up and down his shaft, face screwing up in concentration and pleasure from what Harry was giving him.

"C-Close." He agreed, swallowing the lump in his throat as he felt his stomach bubbling up, building up for an orgasm. Harry kept up the fast paced fucking, eyes not leaving Louis' for a second, listening as Louis' whimpers gradually became more and more high-pitched, each one driving Harry closer to cumming.

"Gonna cum..." Louis whispered, unable to hold on any longer. "Harry, I'm gonna cum..."

Harry stopped his movements and removed his dick from inside Louis, ripping off the condom before his hand was working over himself too. Their heavy breathing filled the air, getting faster and louder as they both reached their orgasms. Louis loudly moaned, a higher pitched, choked out whimper, while Harry deeply groaned, their bodies jolting forwards as their cum flew out, coating each other's stomachs. Next followed strings of swearing as their bodies recovered, coming down again, still looking deep into each other's eyes.

Harry kissed Louis once, a short, simple kiss - which is what it should have been to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you're supposed to be sleeping but end up writing 5k words of smut instead.
> 
> Louis has gone and fucked uuuuuuuuuup!
> 
> I'm sorry if there are any errors! I am exhausted and will correct in the morning. xx


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delayed update! I have been very busy xx
> 
> Also, if anyone here is reading Anonymously Yours, I'm really struggling on thinking of which ideas would be best to continue it with so for now it's not going to be regularly updated xx

Louis' body started shifting from his deep sleep, the dull blur of his dreams transforming into high definition thoughts as his mind altered into reality. It still didn't feel like he had full control over his body yet, his limbs metaphorically restrained to the mattress as half of him was still consumed by remnants of sleep. What he did know, through the cloudy fog depleting his brain, was that he was lying on his side, with a soft pillow cradled beneath his face, and that he was gradually getting his bearings as the glossy glow of morning sunlight flooded the room. 

He gained control of his eyelids, letting them slowly peel open. He sucked in a sharp breath of shock when he found Harry Styles' sleeping face just centimetres from his. He jumped up from his lying position, shifting away in surprise on the bed, overtaken with the immediate dread in the pit of his stomach. The softness of the bed against every inch of his body reminded him that he was naked beneath the sheets, as was Harry. Memories of the night before torrented his head, a giant whirr of regret, and the pain he could feel radiating from his lower half would be a reminder for the next few days that he had fucked up big time.

His sudden shift in the bed to sit up hadn't disturbed Harry, who still lay sound asleep, long, dark eyelashes dusting his cheeks, his eyelids shielding the eyes that looked so deeply into Louis' last night as he fucked him. His pouty lips were slightly parted, the mouth which had spoken such dirty words, and projected such obscene sounds.

_What the fuck had Louis done?_

He should have wanted to leave; to run while Harry was asleep. But there was a strange sense of calm that had washed over him as he sat there, as though, for just now, while Harry wasn't conscious, things were okay. He remembered that Harry had locked the front door the previous evening, and had taken his phone. Both the key to the front door and Louis' phone were in the pocket of Harry's jeans. Harry's jeans were within the messy pile of clothes on the floor, which had been strewn down carelessly.

Louis gave Harry another glance. His eyes were still tightly shut, chest lightly rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern, certainly not looking ready to wake up just yet. Louis swung his legs over the edge of the bed, wincing slightly at that awful pain which bore its way into his bum. _God,_ Harry had really laid it on him last night.

He wanted to swear aloud at the creak that was emitted from the floor when his bare foot came into contact with it. He sat back down on the side of the bed, once again giving Harry a quick check up on to see that he was still asleep, wary that he was a light sleeper. He debunked for himself when he remembered the morning where Zayn had been angrily thudding on the front door for a good five minutes while Harry slept, yet Louis had to physically shake him to wake him up. Louis knew Harry wouldn't be easy to wake up with just a little bit of noise.

Louis stretched out his foot towards his underwear, which was just about within leg's reach for him to place his foot on top of them and drag them across the smooth floor towards him. He hurriedly slipped them on, feeling obviously less exposed now, and proceeded to step around the noisy part of the laminate so he could crouch beside the pile of clothes. Picking through them, he found Harry's jeans, hands patting around in such a frantic manner that he felt like he was in the position of a captive finding their first chance of an escape. The recognisable bulky shape of his phone could be made out in the back left pocket. He pulled it out quickly. The screen displayed that it had just gone half past 9 o'clock and his phone still had 23% battery, surprisingly, and there were also a monumental 39 missed calls in total waiting for him. His mouth almost dropped open upon seeing the figure. There were 19 from Niall, 11 from Liam, and 9 from Louis' mum. Beneath the missed calls was a stream of texts, mainly from a severely worried Niall: 7 in total.

 _16:03_ **Niall:** Louis are u ok mate!?!!  
_16:06_ **Niall:** Has that prick brought u to his house...???  
_16:14_ **Niall:** Please reply so we know ur not dead man  
_16:16_ **Niall:** Louis please seriously!!!!! You saw what he did to Liam :/  
_17:31_ **Niall:** Ah man ur not ok are you :( we don't know where u r Louis we might call the police if you don't respond before long .....  
_20:07_ **Niall:** It's been over 4 hours. REPLY!!! PLEASE!!!! JUST PUT ANY THING!!!!!!  
_20:39_ **Niall:** The police said there is nothing they can do without evidence but they will keep an eye out for you. Louis please stay safe mate, we are so worried.

Shit. They had told the police. Louis wanted to know every single word they'd told the police, especially about Harry. Did they reveal that he was a fucking murderer? Louis didn't want that. Niall still didn't know about Harry's past though, so Louis was grasping onto the hope that they had only mentioned that Louis was missing, and Harry was involved.

He read over three texts that had been left by his mum, hating the sounds of them.

 _21:26_ **Mum:** Louis are you with your friends?? You need to start letting me know when you're staying out late love, we've been waiting for you to get in xx  
_22:55_ **Mum:** Pick up your phone young man!  
_23:58_ **Mum:** Please Louis. We are worried sick darling.

Louis felt his heart break a bit. His friends and family were worried sick. There was even a text from Felicite.

 _02:28_ **Fizzy:** Mum says ur not picking up or replying Lou and please say you are okay :( what is going on??? Where are you???

Harry was still fast asleep when Louis glanced over. He turned his attention back to his phone and sent a speedy text to each of them.

To Niall, he sent: _Hi mate, I'm so sorry for not replying earlier ! I'm absolutely fine I promise. Will see you soon alright :)_

To his mum: _Mum I'm really sorry, I'm at a mate's house. I'm fine I promise ! My phone died last night and I'm only charging it again now. I know you're angry, so sorry xx_

And to Felicite: _Fizzy I'm fine !! Please don't worry, see you soon ! :)_

He hated this. It would probably be perceived by them as him attention-seeking or some shit. Only Niall and Liam knew what had really happened. Well... maybe not everything, but they knew of Louis' general whereabouts. Louis locked his phone and placed it in its original spot in Harry's pocket - like it was never moved. He was very tempted, after seeing the concerned texts, to grab the key to the front door and dart out of Harry's flat, but he stayed put. Something that Harry had said about wanting to wake up next to someone haunted Louis, caused him to stay.

He slid back under the covers, rolling over so that he was facing away from Harry, who was heavily breathing from his nose in his sleep. As his eyes wandered around the half of the room he could see, his mind wandered too. Last night had probably been the biggest mistake he could have possibly made, yet something about it was fulfilling in a sense that Louis _wanted_ it. The simple act of recreating in his mind what had happened was enough to make him shiver. Harry had been so gentle and passionate with him, despite his violent tendencies and past. He cared about Louis so much.

But then there was that unhinged side to him - the side that had promised to make Louis' life a living hell. He had spied on Louis, hurt his friends and vandalised his car, so why didn't Louis have a radiating dislike within him towards Harry? It was obscure, to say the least. Felicite knew about how strange Harry was, but not as much as Niall and Liam did. Maybe Louis could even hide Harry from his family from now on; all his parents had seen of Harry was the little commotion in the shopping centre (and, of course, Louis' mum almost discovered Harry's stalkerish side when he had left his coat in Louis' room and Felicite had blurted it out. Louis still hated her for that.)

Louis realised that he was considering how to hide Harry so he could be with him. He couldn't. He had to tell himself **no**. Last night could have been nothing more than a one night stand, right? They happened all the time, strangers or friends. Not that Harry would class it as being a one night stand, never in a million years. 

That urge within Louis to leave the house sparked up again. Harry was still deep in sleep and hadn't moved from the position Louis had initially seen him in this morning. If he left now, he could pray that he'd never come across Harry again, take his phone and beg _himself_ not to be in love with Harry anymore. He knew that this was all virtually impossible but he had to try it. He steadily got up once again, as gently and quietly as possible, once again avoiding the creaky floorboard and dipped his hand into the pocket again to retrieve his phone and the door key. It felt cruel leaving Harry sleeping there to wake up to an empty bed but he had to remember not to give in, especially not after last night. It was a one off thing. Of course.

He didn't even look back at Harry before he jumped into his jeans and put his t-shirt on from the night before. He wasn't going to look at that innocently sleeping face and be pulled in again. He slipped his shoes back on again and reached the door to exit Harry's room, remembering from yesterday that it always squeaked on its hinges whenever it was opened. He figured it would be best to open the door in one fast swoop. This worked, with only the quietest hint of a creak.

He quietly shut the door behind him, turning to face the living room, which was slightly cooler than the air in Harry's room. Hurrying through, wincing at the pain in his bum with each step, he turned the key in his hand until its front end faced forwards, feeling like he was doing the mature thing by leaving, then he stuck it into the lock of the door when he reached it.

The key was stiff in the lock, unable to be twisted. It was the incorrect key for the front door. Harry had purposely tricked Louis into thinking his morning escape would be easy. He was too smart to just let Louis go. Louis rolled his eyes and exhaled sharply.

"So I was thinking about last night."

He practically jumped out of his skin upon hearing Harry's voice projecting into the living room all of a sudden, still deep and thick with sleep. Louis span around speedily to see Harry leaning on the door frame to his bedroom, wearing just his tight black underwear.

Louis kept his eyes trained on Harry's face. He didn't quite know how to respond, deciding to mention the key. "What's this shit? Did you plan this?"

Harry ignored Louis and continued his previous sentence instead. "And... I realised that you're definitely all I need, Louis."

"Can I just leave?" Louis piped out, having not even remembered his mind conjuring the sentence up. It left his lips before his mind could control it. Harry lazily smiled, sniffing out a laugh.

"We made love last night, Louis," Harry slowly reminded, painfully slowly, his gaze penetrating even across the living room and hallway. "You can't run away from that."

"I want to go home. My mum's worried about me."

Harry's bottom lip jutted out, almost mockingly, and the sickly sweetness in his tone made Louis quiver.

"Awww," Harry drawled out, tilting his head to the side. "Louis' dear mummy misses him?"

"Harry, stop being so annoying, will you? You got what you wanted, can I leave now?"

Harry looked somewhat hurt, heading further into the living room and perching himself on the arm of the sofa, folding his arms over his abdomen. "What I _wanted_?"

Louis shifted awkwardly on his feet, realising that the unaccustomed key was still jammed in the lock. He pulled it out and clenched onto the key in his hand. "Well, yes. You slept with me, if you remember."

"That's not all I wanted." Harry snapped. "Did you not hear what I said before? It made me realise that you're all I need. I know that now. That wasn't all I wanted."

"Thank you for last night, Harry, okay? But now I'm going home."

"Are you?" Harry challenged. "Have you learnt how to break down a locked door or something?"

"You're being really immature. Let me leave now."

"No."

Louis rubbed his hands slowly down his face, groaning behind them. "This isn't a game, for fuck's sake. You're keeping me here against my will now."

"And you will get used to it. You just need time to adjust."

Louis walked back into the living room, passing Harry and falling back onto the sofa with a huff. He didn't know what else he could possibly do; Harry was adamant to keep him there. Harry slid over the arm of the sofa and onto it, beside Louis. There was a momentary silence before Harry broke it.

"You're the first person I've really cared about."

Louis looked at Harry squarely. "What do you mean?"

"I've never made love to someone before. Only fucked people."

Well... that made Louis feel some kind of way. He wanted to stupidly argue that both making love and fucking someone the same thing, but he knew that they weren't.

"I'm glad it meant that much to you. But we're not good together, Harry. Still."

"I'm not letting you leave my house." Harry stated, locking his hands over his own knees. "I know that you love me. The way you looked at me, you _craved_ me, Louis. You always will."

"I know! For fuck's sake, I know!" Louis exploded. "I do have feelings for you, but that doesn't mean I think we should be together!"

"You've admitted it again now. You're staying here with me, Louis, we can make this work!"

"Let me leave right now or I'm calling the police." Louis sternly warned. He didn't want to, of course not, but he wanted to push Harry. "And I _know_ you wouldn't hurt me like you hurt Liam."

"You know me too well." Harry quietly sighed. "I just know that if I let you go now, you might just disappear and not want to see me again."

"I can't help what happens." Louis shrugged. "But I want you to unlock that door and let me leave. Please."

Harry suddenly rose from his feet and turned towards his bedroom door again, going inside briefly, before he crossed back through the living room and into the hallway. Louis was surprised to hear the sound of the front door being unlocked moments later, realising that Harry must have retrieved the real key from his room.

"You're free to go, Louis." He called out. Louis turned his head towards the hallway to see Harry stood by the open door, leaving it gaping open for Louis to walk through. It seemed too easy. Harry couldn't bare the thought of Louis potentially never showing up in his life again, yet he was just letting Louis walk right out. Something wasn't right.

Louis stood up nonetheless, dropping the placebo key on the coffee table before heading towards the hallway. He expected Harry to forcefully shut the door in his face before he could go, or grab him as he passed, but he did nothing. He let Louis cross the threshold so he was stood out in the corridor, outside Harry's apartment.

"It was nice having you here, Louis. And thank you for last night, it was absolutely incredible." Harry smiled widely. Louis furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at him carefully.

"Why have you suddenly changed your mind?"

Harry childishly shrugged, smile remaining. "I have realised that it's your life and I shouldn't be holding you back."

"Something's going on." Louis claimed, crossing his arms. "This can't just be a goodbye."

"I'm hoping it won't be. We will see each other again." Harry grinned. "But for now, let's end it with a hug." He stepped forward a large step before encasing Louis in a sudden hug, tightly holding him in. Louis found himself hugging back, embracing the hot skin on Harry's back. He felt Harry's face dip down slightly, mouth finding his ear. Louis had worked out that Harry enjoyed whispering to him. Each time he did it sent emotions racing through his body.

"I will see you again." There was an emphasis on the second word that made Louis shiver, a demanding tone of voice. Louis knew now that Harry wasn't going to let go of him. He was sure of it.

"Okay." He replied, as Harry pulled away from him. Deep down Louis knew that Harry would find a way to get to him again, no matter where he went or what he did. There was just something Harry did, like he had a sixth sense dedicated to locating where Louis was and when. It was fascinating. 

"Do you want a lift home? Let me grab my keys." Harry turned towards his house again, but Louis stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"No, no, it's okay. I will make my own way back, it's fine." He span away from Harry and began walking away, not even waiting for a response, only looking back once before heading down the spiral staircase.

* * *

The moment Louis' friends spotted him strolling over to them at the park, where they'd chosen to meet underneath the trees in the back corner, Niall had sprung up from the picnic bench beneath him (on which he sat on the table instead of the actual bench.)

"Louis, we were so fucking worried!" He exclaimed, surprising Louis by locking him in a tight hug. "Are you okay? What happened? Did he hurt you?"

"Woah, woah, calm down!" Louis lightly laughed, breaking the hug and reassuringly gripping his concerned friend on the shoulders. "I'm fine, Niall. I'm okay."

Well, Louis wasn't really fine. And Harry _had_ hurt him, simply by fucking him too hard and fast... as Louis had requested. He wasn't okay, he was trying but failing to let go of Harry. Liam had sent Louis a heartening smile from where he leant against the large oak tree, with an evident discomfort behind his eyes. He was clearly still unnerved by what Harry had done to him.

"What did he do? Why did he want you there?" Liam spoke up, folding his arms quizzically. "And I appreciate you doing that, mate... stopping him from hurting me."

Louis chose to skip over the questions of Liam's, responding instead to the ending statement. "I couldn't let him hurt you. I'm sorry he did that, Liam, it must have been horrible."

"He's such a shit human being," Niall shook his head in disgust, returning to his seat on the picnic bench's tabletop. "It's laughable that he thinks he has a chance with you, Lou."

Louis wanted to defend Harry suddenly. The passion he had experienced from him last night - the sheer love and yearning - was enough for Louis. Harry had fallen so hard for him and Louis was trying his best to kill the reciprocation of the love.

"He's just a bit fucked up, isn't he? I mean, he can be a nice guy, it's just..." He trailed off in thought, noting the bewildered expressions of his two mates. He was rambling on like a madman, suddenly deluded.

"Just a _bit_ fucked up? He almost strangled Liam to death!" Niall vociferated, flailing his arms out in disbelief.

"He wouldn't have killed him." Louis argued, though he wasn't absolutely certain about this. He didn't know how far Harry would take things if he had to. He did seem pretty out of control at the time. Louis wished he hadn't met up with his friends now, he could sense another argument brewing.

"You sure about that, Louis? You sure Harry wouldn't _kill_ me?" Liam put emphasis on the word, making Louis squirm. He was doing it on purpose, knowing full well that Niall had no idea about what Harry had done. But he had caught on and was looking between Louis and Liam.

"Why are you talking like that?" He asked.

"He's just trying to be irritating, he--"

"So you're not going to mention how Harry has literally committed murder?"

Louis got the irrational thought to strangle Liam. Then he remembered that would make him just as bad as Harry. He simply shot a death glare his way before turning to Niall, seeing a look of a mix of horror and curiosity on his face.

"He's... killed someone? What?"

"Don't worry, Niall. Liam's just making things complicated." He spoke the final word with an ounce of strain, repeating the death glare Liam's way as though to non-verbally say "leave it for now. Don't say anything." Liam ignored the threat.

"Yes. Two people."

Niall's eyeline diverted to focus on Louis. "Well shit! Thank God you got away from him, Lou, Jesus Christ!"

He was far from 'away' from Harry. In fact, he was even more fucked now after last night with Harry. He could still feel the pain in his body, reminding him again of his stupid, stupid decisions.

"Yeah... good thing I have." Louis sighed. He could sense Liam's concern, having sensed the near sarcasm of Louis' response, but the topic of Harry ended there. For now.

* * *

To Louis - From Harry: So have you already deleted my number? Maybe I should be surprised if this even delivers, you've probably blocked me. I'm sorry for loving you .xx

Louis hadn't deleted or blocked Harry's number. In fact, he was checking his phone every few minutes while he tidied his bedroom, and he had left his notifications on loud. So when Harry's message came through, he hurried to pick up his phone, making it his priority. The final sentence of the text struck him hard.

Reply? Not reply? Reply? Not reply?

He replied. He knew that if he didn't, his mind would spend hours racing about what Harry would have said to follow it up. He couldn't help himself.

To Harry - From Louis: Actually I haven't blocked you. But I want you to understand that you and me can't be together. Please try to understand it, I'm sorry for manipulating and confusing you by sleeping with you. I really shouldn't have done it.

He left the kisses out too. He hated this. He wished again that he had never met Harry, despite the burning and passionate love he felt for him.

To Louis - From Harry: It felt so good didn't it? I fucked you so good Louis, nobody else will ever fuck you like that again but me .xx

Oh... well that made Louis' heart jump. Harry had fucked him so good, he knew that even though Harry was the first. Harry had surely gotten enough practice from all the men and women he fucked back when he was stressed out with too much on his mind -- the thought brought Louis jealousy. He didn't think much before he had replied.

To Harry - From Louis: It was very good Harry. It's just you should think of it as a one night stand sort of thing

It was such a bad excuse. He knew Harry would mock it instantly.

To Louis - From Harry: A one night stand? Fuck off with that Louis, you and me were made for each other. I've never felt the way with anyone else that I did with you. I can't even put it into words .xx

Louis felt so many emotions too.

To Harry - From Louis: People can move on from loving people. It happens all the time when things don't work out. You will be just fine Harry. You will find someone like me again

To Louis - From Harry: No. I won't. Only you Louis, always you. Please, you're all I need. I'm not going to let you go, I don't know what it's going to take but me and you will make it work .xx

To Harry - From Louis: So long as you're still a violent killer, things will never work.

Louis had hit sent before he had registered it. He immediately wished he could undo it and get the message back but Harry had already read it. It took significantly longer for him to reply, but when he did, Louis didn't know what to do anymore.

To Louis - From Harry: Well this violent killer will kill one of your friends if you don't give me a fucking chance.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how long it took me to update. Will be regularly updating again (daily). Hope people still want to read it? Idk, just enjoy anyway! (Next chapter will be interesting.)

To Louis - From Harry: Well this violent killer will kill one of your friends if you don't give me a fucking chance.

 

 

Louis felt like he couldn't breathe. Harry was bringing out the big guns again - releasing the unhinged, dangerous side to himself, unable to realise that it never worked. Nothing worked anymore. All it did was terrify Louis even more, impossibly more, and regret once again ever holding onto the ounce of hope for a relationship. Why did Harry have to be like this? It was utterly frightening how somebody could walk past Harry on the street and merely see a pretty face, oblivious to how precarious that brain of his was, what his past held, what his intentions were.

Louis wasn't even in a position to conjure up a response to the text. A normal person would pick up their phone and call the police, but it wasn't an option for Louis; he wanted Harry to stay under the radar of the authorities... stupidly. He was stupidly in love with him and couldn't even help it, despite what Harry presaged.

Who could he even tell about Harry's threatening text? If he told his parents, they'd call the police. If he told Liam and Niall, not only would they call the police, but they'd also be shitting themselves and would refuse to leave their homes. The only person he could think of telling was either Felicite or Lottie. He knew Lottie was often more mature, and Felicite was bound to blurt it out to their parents, so he was really considering Lottie. She didn't know too much, didn't even know that the flowers on Louis' car had been from Harry, however a fresh pair of ears and a new perspective was what was needed really. But then again, he really didn't want the stress of explaining the situation again, plus the worry would burden his younger sister. It was unfair to do. He would just burden himself with it.

He did reply to the text, after almost forty minutes of pondering. Eleven words that were a pure lie, but would hopefully scare Harry momentarily.

To Harry - From Louis: I will tell the police if you go anywhere near them.

Harry probably knew that Louis wouldn't dare. One: because it would mean Harry would become even more dangerous and eager to demolish Louis' life, and two: Louis didn't want Harry in trouble. It was hard to explain but true, they both knew it.

The only thing Louis could really do in the situation was to stay the hell out of Harry's way, but it seemed unattainable to do. Harry was usually able to track him down. But now there was no microphone in any flowers, Louis was hoping he could someone lay low and hope Harry wouldn't come near him. God, he knew he was just deluding himself.

Harry's reply hadn't come until after Louis had showered (and observed the bruises on his body in the mirror, as a temporary reminder of his mistake at Harry's house.) It was along lines of what he'd expected.

To Louis - From Harry: You wouldn't call the police, we both know that all too well .xx

It would be pretty impossible for Harry to find Louis if he quite literally found a location to hang out with Niall and Liam which was frankly in the middle of nowhere. Harry wasn't a fucking magician, he was just good at predicting where Louis would be, or maybe he followed his car.

To Harry - From Louis: You and I, we will never be a thing now. I want you to understand that. And you wouldn't hurt my friends. You would not DARE. That would achieve nothing anyway, it's just a threat.

Harry's reply came within just moments, as though he had been waiting.

To Louis - From Harry: I could easily kill them. I could easily kill anyone you know and love Louis. Just know I'd never hurt you, and maybe those you love will be safe if you give me a fucking chance yeah? .xx

Louis densely shivered. Half from fear, half from spite. He wanted to hate Harry, he really did.

To Harry - From Louis: Fuck you. You can't hang around me forever.

To Louis - From Harry: But I will. I love you so much and I will always find you .xx

Louis stared at his bedroom wall for what seemed like the next hour.

* * *

"How does it feel being free from that maniac now, Lou?" Niall grinned, ruffling Louis' hair as they sat at the canteen table. "You haven't heard from him since, have you?"

Louis so badly wanted to tell them how threatening Harry had been towards all of them, but he just couldn't. It would worsen things. He didn't want them worrying.

"No signs of him whatsoever." He plastered on a smile. "It's good for now."

It wasn't. It never would be.

Why was he even lying? He was completely isolating his problems. If he took that too far, he would soon be completely alone with the dilemma. That was dangerous.

"I knew he'd get over it sooner or later," Liam theorised, scooping pasta into his mouth and talking between mouthfuls. "I mean, how could someone possibly be so addicted as to literally not take a hundred no's for an answer?"

Harry Styles was that addicted. That obsessed. And it hardly helped that Louis made love to him just two days prior, but it was a plausible question from Liam: how the hell was Harry so fucking obsessed? Louis never thought he was _that_ special, particularly; Harry was simply wildly persistent to get his own way all the time. And he wanted Louis.

There was a reflective silence between the three of them. Louis was itching to mention that he hadn't yet shaken Harry from his life. He couldn't stand it, the unbearable weight in his heart of knowing his friends may not be safe in public.

"What do you think I could have even _done_ if he hadn't left me alone? If he _was_ still bothering me?" He decided to use subtlety to gain a realistic answer to this, to answer what others thought was Harry's next agenda. He was dreading any form of answer, honestly, but he had to know.

"Have you seen that stalker TV programme? It's called something like 'Stalker: Someone's Watching.' Basically a majority of the episodes end in the stalker killing the person they're stalking." Niall casually explained, causing Louis' heart to skip a beat in terror. "But luckily it never got that far for you. You got out of it, Lou, you're one of the lucky ones."

Louis felt like his face had paled, but it clearly wasn't clear enough for his friends to pick up on. Harry wouldn't kill him, would he? He said so himself that he wouldn't hurt him, and he always seemed to stay calm when Louis yelled at him. Sure, he had threatened Louis' best friends, but would he really go so far as to actually hurt Louis? Louis had left a significant silence following Niall's explanation, staring into space, and Liam picked up on it.

"Are you okay, Louis?"

"Yeah, I'm just gonna... I'm actually going to head home." He said in a monotone voice, staring in the same spot all the while and patting the empty seat by his side to feel for where he'd put his coat and bag. Before Liam and Niall could realise that Louis wasn't joking, he was getting to his feet and speedily walking across the canteen, towards the exit and away from them.

"Wait, Louis, are you serious?" Liam called after him, voice laced with concern. "You're safe from Harry now! Things will get better now, don't take what Niall was saying to heart."

Louis stopped in his footsteps, about ten metres from them, spinning to face them with a blank face.

"Guys, I am _never_ safe from him. Ever." He allowed that to sink in for them momentarily before spinning around once again, continuing his descent across the canteen, towards the double doors. He could sense that his two mates were immediately on his tail, hurrying to follow him across the large room, and he found himself rolling his eyes. What Niall had said was really fucking insensitive, considering both the facts that Harry could (and would) spring up in Louis' life again, and that - well - he was genuinely a double killer already. All he did was ignite Louis' anxieties forevermore.

"Is he gonna kill me, Niall?" He sarcastically called back over his shoulder. "Is he gonna hunt me down and murder me?"

"What? Louis, what are you talking about? You literally just told us that he's been leaving you alone!" Niall protested, voice carrying over the loud chatter of teenagers around them. "Can you stop for a second?"

"Why would I stop? The longer I stay still, the more chance there is of Harry finding me!" He sarcastically interjected, refusing to stop just yet. He didn't even know why he was suddenly doing this, it was due to the spark of anger caused by Niall's insensitivity to bring up that damn television show.

"He's not going to find you! He's going to leave you alone, he hasn't contacted you!" Liam sounded utterly stupid too, feeding off of Louis' lies. Louis suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, meaning Liam and Niall were inches from walking straight into him. He span around to face them once again, seeing concern struck on their faces.

"I lied." He spat. "He isn't going to fucking leave me alone. And for the record, he's threatened to kill the both of you if I don't keep him in my life."

Louis hadn't even intended to burst into tears halfway through this sentence, and Liam and Niall, despite the chilling confession they had just heard, were quick to escort Louis out of the packed canteen before anybody saw him in tears. They headed quickly to the bathroom, all while Louis was shakily sobbing, and were lucky to find it empty.

Liam grabbed some toilet paper from inside one of the cubicles, quickly by Louis' side to hand it to him to wipe away the fresh tears.

"Louis, I am _so_ sorry," Niall sincerely apologised, rubbing Louis' back supportively. "I wouldn't have mentioned that stupid show, it's probably all made up anyway!"

"It's okay." Louis quietly piped up, wiping his nose with the tissue. "You didn't know, don't apologise."

"This isn't fucking fair on you, that bastard putting you in this position." Liam shook his head in disgust. "He's ruining your life, Lou! And to what gain? What has he really got out of this?"

If only they _knew_ what Harry had already gotten out of it.

"I don't know what to do." Louis whispered. The reason he whispered was because if he had said it loud enough, they would have heard him. If they had heard him, they would immediately suggest calling the police.

"Well, I'm not scared of that twat." Niall boasted, trying to put up a terrifying front.

"Yes you are," Liam rolled his eyes.

"Guys, you're really not helping." Louis mumbled, wiping his hands down his face in stress. "There's really nothing you could say right now."

"Can I call him off your phone?" Niall suddenly suggested, gesturing down to the visible phone outline in Louis' pocket.

"God, you don't want to talk to him on the phone." Liam warned, recalling the time when Harry told him he would 'track you down and personally slice your stomach clean open, until your insides are on the floor' if he didn't stay out of he and Louis' business. It was hardly something he'd like to relive.

"What are you meant to say to him? All he'll do is threaten you." Louis sniffed, still recovering from his minor breakdown.

"He does that over the phone?" Niall cooked an eyebrow. "Then I want to see him in person to talk."

Liam's eyes widened, remembering the awful moment Harry held him up against the wall by his neck. He, personally, wanted to be nowhere near that monster again.

"You're crazy," Louis muttered, a humourless laugh following. "What do you have in mind to say to him?"

"Well," Niall breathed in shakily. "I'm just going to see if he's true to his word. Let's see if he _will_ do it. Kill me."

Louis and Liam exchanged bewildered expressions.

"Niall... you don't want to do that. Why are you being like this?" Louis asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Because I'm sick of that idiot making such disgusting threats!" Niall vociferated, picking idly at his fingernail. "Me, you two, and Harry. Just us four, I want us to meet somewhere to have a little chat."

"I'm not going to allow that. No way, Niall!" Louis exclaimed, resembling a strict parent.

"I'm with Louis on this. You saw what he did to me, Niall! You know what he's done to others! He could really hurt you."

"He wouldn't hurt me. Believe me, I know he's just using it as a threat." Niall theorised, with a smug smile. "And anyway, ever heard of reverse psychology?"

"How does that fit in, here?" Louis questioned, aiming for the bin by the bathroom's door and throwing in the scrunched up tissue.

"You're going to tell him this." Niall began, although his tone suggested he was about to make the plan up on the spot. "If he even dares to hurt me or Liam, you're going to move away to another city and never come back. If he doesn't hurt us, maybe we can have a proper conversation with him, try to get some real answers out of him."

Louis liked the idea of that, aside from a few factors. Firstly, he didn't want to lie about moving to a new city. Secondly, he was worried Harry would bring up the fact that they fucked. And thirdly, it was a known fact to Louis that Harry was incapable of having a proper conversation regarding anything too serious. The most serious conversation Louis had held with Harry was, well, when Harry confessed to his killings.

"Well... okay." Louis gave in anyway, figuring it was worth a try. He could always warn Harry not to bring up the sex, if Harry would only listen.

"Count me out." Liam grunted. "No way am I going near him again!"

"No one will get hurt this time. I've got this all under control." Niall smiled.

All three of them knew that he didn't.


	37. Chapter 37

Louis was almost entirely against Niall's stupidly spontaneous plan to meet up with Harry. It was almost a fucking death wish, considering how mad Harry currently was, and how much he was trying to get with Louis again. He really did wonder why Niall's brain worked the way it did at times.

What Louis had not fully thought through was that he'd have to awkwardly be the one to text Harry asking about the meet up, plus he would have to hastily mention to him to keep their sexual encounter a secret. He wasn't entirely sure whether it would work but it was what he had to do.

Louis tried to relax himself in his bedroom before deciding to text Harry. He was honestly worried, considering their last text conversation had been regarding Louis warning to call the police, and Harry was always so unpredictable. He drafted out a text first.

To Harry - From Louis: Me and my friends would like to meet up with you as soon as possible. We need to talk.

He hit send before he could convince himself otherwise, then he locked his phone and threw it across his bed. He couldn't stand the tension of waiting for a response, considering Harry almost always responded promptly. He really didn't want this to be happening, this stupid meet up, however he was starting to see reason behind Niall's madness. Maybe they could have a serious conversation with Harry about all of this - probably not, but it was worth a try.

Louis heard his phone's notification alert ring out a couple of moments later. He wanted to ignore it and leave his phone there forever, but he obviously couldn't. He scooped up his phone, unlocking it to read over the new text.

To Louis - From Harry: Aww, a cute little reunion? You bring two of your friends, I bring two of mine. It's that or nothing .xx

Okay... that did seem slightly reasonable, however it was bound to be so much more intimidating. Zayn wasn't too bad, mainly just rude, but Louis had no idea what Harry's friend Ed was like (he assumed that's who else Harry would be bringing, considering they were his two closest mates.)

To Harry - From Louis: Ok fine. Deal. Only other rule is you don't mention what happened between me and you last time I saw you.

To Louis - From Harry: We had sex Louis, stop putting it so lightly .xx

That wasn't an agreement from Harry to keep it quiet. Louis wasn't going to be happy until he got a _promise_ to keep it private.

To Harry - From Louis: You won't mention it to my friends. Deal?

Harry took a few minutes to reply this, as though he were literally taking this proposition into consideration. How difficult was it to just agree to that? Clearly it wasn't for Harry, as he enjoyed bragging. He would have loved to boast to Niall and Liam about fucking Louis.

To Louis - From Harry: It will be our dirty secret .xx

Louis literally rolled his eyes this time. He did regret sleeping with Harry, of course he did, however the ways Harry made him feel when they did were absolutely unexplainable. It had been incredible.

But bad. Very bad indeed.

To Harry - From Louis: Is that a promise?

To Louis - From Harry: Yes. I promise .xx

That was rather decent of Harry, at least. Not too much fuss.

To Harry - From Louis: Ok. We are all going to meet tomorrow. 6pm. In the park.

He didn't even offer Harry an option for what time was best. This wasn't a friendly get-together, it was serious.

To Louis - From Harry: I have boxing then Louis .xx

Louis rolled his eyes. He forgot that Harry actually had an evening commitment. He felt like deep down Harry was only saying these things to stall the conversation, to keep speaking to Louis for as long as possible.

To Harry - From Louis: Then when you're finished fucking boxing.

To Louis - From Harry: What if I don't want to finish boxing? .xx

"Oh my fucking God." Louis breathed aloud to himself in frustration. He had to take a deep breath to compose himself before replying again.

To Harry - From Louis: Don't be so difficult Harry. Tomorrow at 9pm. If not then, never.

He was done with playing Harry's stupid games.

To Louis - From Harry: I can't stop thinking about when you told me to fuck you harder and faster. You sounded so fucking filthy .xx

Louis' eyes widened at the text, heart thumping slightly faster. Despite not even being face to face with Harry, he felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment. A mild pang of arousal did hit him from the memory of he and Harry, yet he didn't let this become too prominent.

To Harry - From Louis: See you tomorrow at 9. At the park. Be there Harry.

Harry didn't reply again. It was sure to just be a waiting game when tomorrow came around.

* * *

Liam was ultimately terrified as he, Louis and Niall trudged over the grass, to the area with the picnic table, as Louis had later mentioned to Harry would be their meeting spot. It was a bad, bad idea meeting late at night, yet it couldn't be helped, what with Harry's late evening boxing sessions. Louis was just hoping Harry wouldn't still be riled up enough to cause any trouble, having just been boxing.

There were three lampposts surrounding the picnic table, flooding it in a bright glow, and Louis sat in the centre of the bench, Liam and Niall protectively sat either side of him. The bench opposite was empty. For now.

It was a minute past nine. Louis didn't think it possible for his heart to be beating as heavily as it was in his chest as they waited. Niall was trying to keep calm and collected, but the way he was drumming his fingers rhythmically on the table in front of them highlighted his anxieties.

"I kind of hope they don't show up," Liam admitted. Louis noticed that Liam was sat very close to him, so their thighs were touching, and Louis honestly felt awful for making poor Liam come along too. It seemed more sensible having three of them there, opposed to just two.

There wasn't a sign of Harry and his friends until six minutes past nine. All Louis and his mates heard to begin with was faint talking, coming from somewhere in the darkness of the field, and it was one of the eeriest things Louis had ever experienced. He wanted to disappear and be safe at home. He heard the unmistakeable sound of Harry's laughter, ringing through the air as he chatted casually with his friends, their voices becoming gradually louder as they approached.

Liam was visibly shaking when he put his hands up to rest on the tabletop, but when he noticed this he quickly moved them to rest on his lap under the table again. Louis reassuringly patted Liam's arm, just as Harry, Zayn and Ed came into sight beneath the lights of the lamppost, just metres from them. Zayn was wearing a baggy black hoodie, which was stylishly ripped in random spots around it, with black skinny jeans and white trainers. He wore a smug grin, his hair in its usual gelled up quiff. Ed, who Louis was seeing in person for the first time, was dressed just as casually, in an open checkered shirt, over a plain white t-shirt, with ripped blue jeans.

And then there was Harry, whose eyes were immediately glued to Louis, as he and his friends took a seat on the bench opposite. Ed was opposite Niall, Harry opposite Louis, Zayn opposite Liam. Nobody knew who was going to speak first, but the dense silence wasn't helping to calm Louis' nerves as Harry's eyes scanned about his face, smirk prominent.

"Evening, Gentleman." Of course, Harry was the first to vocalise the situation. "You... wanted to see me?"

Louis broke the eye contact with Harry and used his leg to nudge Niall's beneath the table, urging him to do as he said and confront Harry. But Niall was then nudging Louis' back again, as a way of saying 'I've changed my fucking mind! You talk!'

Louis drew in a deep breath, eyes looking over the faces of both Harry's friends before finding his again.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm not taking it anymore." Louis allowed the spontaneous words to rush out, seemingly having no filter before they left his mouth. "And I want you to that know that you're not going to cause me any hassle anymore, Harry, because I'm done with you."

Harry and his two friends seemed to mirror the same expression as a reaction: smug surprise. Harry was grinning, white teeth on display and eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at Louis.

"Oh?" He challenged. Louis nodded. "Okay, Louis, okay. So how do you plan on removing me from your life?"

Liam and Niall were both eyeing Harry nervously, neither having the balls to say anything to back Louis up. This was all about Harry and Louis right now, nobody else said a word.

"Firstly, by deleting your phone number. Blocking it." Louis began, watching Harry smugly nodding along.

"And?"

"And filing a restraining order against you."

Louis couldn't get enough of the look of complete and utter shock on Harry's face. His mouth just dropped open slightly, losing his smugness momentarily, clearly never having considered Louis would do something so drastic.

"You wouldn't do that," Zayn chipped in, noting how taken aback Harry was. "That's too much effort, you'd never go to those lengths."

"Oh, he would." Niall stepped in, voice slightly wavering, unsure of himself, yet sticking up for Louis. "Anything to get away from that maniac."

"I'm sat right here, you mother-fucking--"

"Okay, Harry, let's continue this discussion calmly." Ed swiftly cut in. Louis respected how Ed was acting.

"So," Louis continued, "My proposition is this, Harry. You don't hurt my friends or my family. You don't follow me around, you don't harass me, you leave me the hell alone. And if you fail to do that, I file the restraining order."

Harry drew in a deep, audibly shaky breath, running his hands down his face. He knew that even something as simple as Louis filing a restraining order would alert the police, putting them on his case, and he couldn't have that.

"I don't know what to say, Louis." He admitted. Louis heard a slight shake in his tone. "You'd really do that? Seriously?"

"Yes, Harry."

Harry inhaled deeply once again, looking out away from the table, into the darkness of the night, face of consideration, dread and... sadness.

"Can I speak to you alone? For five minutes, that's all I need." He begged all of a sudden, attention on Louis again. "Please."

Louis looked at Harry squarely for a moment, internally considering it. The pleading eyes Harry was giving him swayed him.

"Five minutes only."

"Are you crazy, Louis?" Liam hissed in his ear, his maturity sparking through. "You can't do that."

"We will be five minutes. If I'm over there for any longer, come and make sure I'm okay." Louis whispered back, ignoring the scrutinising glare from Harry due to the whispering. Liam hesitated but nodded after a moment. Louis swung his legs over the back of the bench, leaving his two friends sat down, and Harry followed him. They strolled calmly over to the fencing of the area they were in, out of earshot and almost the eyesight of the four other boys. Louis didn't feel as frightened as he should have, being close to Harry again. They had already been as close as two humans could really get, which made him shiver at the thought. _Fuck._

Harry leant against the fence, observing Louis' face very carefully beneath the light of the lamppost. Louis was surprised to see the other's face crack into a smile.

"Why are you smiling?" Louis fretted, picking at the loose wood from the top of the fence, awkwardly. "This is serious, Harry, not exactly a time to be smiling."

"I'm just... I'm so in love with you." He hazily smiled.

Louis gulped, for what must have been the 5th time since the sixth of them had met up. His eyes linked with Harry's, so close to getting lost in those bright, varied pools of green.

"Do you agree with my deal?" Louis swerved Harry's very personal sentence, worried he could crack under the pressure if he didn't stick to his guns.

"No. I completely do not, Louis, and do you know why?"

Louis deeply sighed. "No. Why?"

"Because we were made for each other. We were brought together for a reason, there is a fucking reason. We have to be together, we're destined to be together."

"Well that's got to stop then, Harry."

"No, it hasn't!" Harry urged, taking ahold of Louis' wrist suddenly. Louis pulled his arm from Harry's grip instantly.

"Harry, you have threatened to kill my friends. You've vandalised my car. You've spied on me. You've threatened to make my life a living hell. Your anger has _terrified_ me." Louis ranted, somewhat quieter than before. He wanted to make sure their separate conversation _stayed_ separate.

"And I apologise."

"That is not enough!" Louis exclaimed, seething with anger. "You can't act so fucking ridiculously and get away with it with some meaningless apology!"

"Louis, I love you so much. You can't cut me from your life, _please._." Harry begged. His voice had cracked on the final word, eyebrows wrinkling together in forthcoming tears. Louis stared at Harry for a moment. Before his eyes, memories from his past with Harry played at full speed, flying through his brain, almost blinding him with the truth.

_The first time he saw Harry. The way that their eyes met for the first time._

_Harry giving Louis his coat in the pouring rain._

_Texting each other late at night when Louis couldn't sleep._

_The passion in their first kiss._

_The love bites Harry left on Louis that one night._

_The way Harry was so very gentle with Louis when they made love..._

"We..." Louis faltered, eyes still linked intensely with Harry's. He couldn't construct a legitimate sentence, words seeming not to exist. Only one sentence made real sense to him now. "I'm in love with you, Harry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is confusing. Just expressing the ups and downs of love. Louis and Harry are so in love, but is it enough?


	38. Chapter 38

Louis regretted those six words the instant they left his mouth.

_"I'm in love with you, Harry."_

How insanely moronic was Louis to blurt out something so ridiculous? He was in the middle of forming a mutual agreement, conjuring up a strategy to keep Harry at bay, but he had gone and fucked it all up again.

Harry looked just as astonished as Louis, eyebrows raised and eyes ever-so-slightly wider than moments before. He opened his mouth to speak, ready to convey his shock, but Louis was hasty to cut him off.

"I didn't mean that, Harry, I'm sorry." He rushed, hating how infantile he was acting. He could practically hear Harry's heart breaking. Harry's eyes shut then, a sharp breath escaping through his nose.

"That's hardly something you can say lightly, Louis." He hissed, eyes opening again, swimming with disappointment. He leant his slender body against the fence, running his hands down his face and heavily sighing. Louis was leaning by his side, with a significant space between them, staring straight forwards into the darkness. He could see Niall and Liam in the distance, still remaining on the bench beneath the light of the lampposts, facing his way to take in any visual warnings that could be just round the corner.

"So, do you accept what I asked of you?" Louis returned to his previous proposition, hands gripping into a wooden plank behind him. He was sure he had splinters from how harshly he gripped on it, but his hands remained in place. Harry left a silence, a long, tense silence, so lengthy that Louis wouldn't be surprised if he was asleep. But then he spoke.

"You, Louis Tomlinson, are absolutely fucking insane. You know that?" Harry gritted, rather hypocritically. Louis wanted to laugh aloud at the irony, but realised that this was Harry's way of saying 'fuck you, I'm not agreeing.' 

"You know, it's pretty ironic that you're calling _me_ the insane one." Louis snapped, turning to face Harry, standing his ground. His blood was bubbling with fear, the ominous feelings spreading through his body like a wildfire. He stood on his tiptoes, face closer to Harry's in threat, before he spoke again in an irritated hush. "Because that's exactly what you are. You're _insane_."

Harry's gaze were diverting between the two of Louis' eyes in the dim lamppost light, eyebrows crinkled, jaw locked and expression unchangeable.

 

Then Harry's voice came out low and gravelly, terrifyingly admonitory. "Insane enough to go back over there and kill one of your friends the way I killed my dad."

Louis held that paralysing eye contact, knowing that now would be the worst time to show his weakness. Hell, his heart was hammering in his chest, pulse prominent throughout his body, but he couldn't stand down now. He could hear some commotion from the four boys by the bench, as it came to their attention what was happening between Harry and Louis, and they were rushing over.

"And I'm insane enough to head over to the police station right now to report you." Louis quietly responded to Harry, having to look away finally. He couldn't stare into those eyes for any longer. He felt Niall tugging at his sleeve, urging him to walk away, but Louis stayed in place. He watched as Harry's lips curled up into a smirk, then he simply nodded.

"Which one would you miss less?" He spoke louder this time, eyes flicking briefly over Niall and Liam. "I'd at least be humble enough to let you choose whose life I end."

"Harry, no." Zayn was fast to intervene, swiftly moving in to pull Harry back roughly, so a bigger space distanced him from Louis. "Don't. You don't need that shit in your life again. Come on."

Louis wanted to give Zayn a fucking award for being so mature. Louis remembered Harry saying Zayn took 4 months to go near him again after finding out about the murders; Zayn didn't want that again; he wanted to be there for Harry without fearing him.

Harry shot the most scoldingly frightening look towards Niall and Liam, before allowing Zayn and Ed to drag him away from the scene. He looked back at Louis over his shoulder as he was escorted away, sporting the most penetrating stare Louis had ever seen from him.

* * *

It was approaching half past three o'clock in the morning, yet Louis couldn't be more wide awake. He was sat at his desk, his laptop set on his desk in front of him, scrolling through Harry's Facebook photos again. His left hand's index finger was massaging one of the deep-set bruises on his forearm - where Harry's thumb had pressed tightly into his skin - while he used his other hand to scroll through the photos; new and old. He had tried to convince himself not to click onto Harry's profile, but that voice urging him to in his mind won in the end. Harry was nice to look at... but not to think about.

Louis got to the bottom of Harry's photos, reaching a very old album that gave him chills: _**Childhood Photos.**_ Louis hadn't seen this yet, having never had the mental stability to venture back so deep into Harry's Facebook photos. He opened the folder, seeing that each photo was captioned with his age in the photograph.

 

_Baby me. Age 3._  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=dlno74)

Louis found himself smiling fondly at the photograph. Harry looked so pure, doe-eyed and innocent.

 

_Age 5. Wasn't I cute?_  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=15hy8sw)

Yes. He was cute (and he still was.) Louis was fonding hard.

 

_With Gemma .xx_  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=4gt004)

 

Gemma. Louis remembered that being the name of Harry's sister. He felt a dose of sorrow remembering how heartbroken Harry was, having been ultimately abandoned by his mother and sister. And speaking of his mother, she was in the final photo in the folder.

 

_With my beautiful mum .xx_  
[](http://tinypic.com?ref=vwsi91)

 

Louis found that he had to click off Harry's profile. It was giving him the chills, and he felt awful for Harry. He used to be so happy. Louis figured it would be hard for Harry to ever be like that again. It was horrible.

Louis opened up his Google browser and spontaneously typed out what he had _really_ retrieved his laptop for, before getting distracted by Harry's Facebook profile.

_'How to file a restraining order uk'_

He pressed enter and clicked onto the first link. One of the first things that caught his eye was the subheading ' **stalking** '. The aspects listed matched to what Harry had done. All of those things. It was possible for Louis to file a restraining order, if he so wished to.

But then again, he loved Harry.

But then again, Harry was so dangerous. Too dangerous to love.

Louis closed the lid of his laptop, after having read through the entire page. His head was spinning, questions firing through his brain. 

Why did he ever have to meet Harry?

Why did Harry have to be so abnormal?

Why couldn't Harry be as happy and normal as he was when he was young?

 

Louis' phone vibrated on his desk, catching his attention. He unlocked it to find a text from Liam.

To Louis - From Liam: What are you exactly going to do now Louis? Gonna file for the restraining order or.....??

That was a question Louis was still trying to answer for himself. He needed Harry as far from him as possible, but he didn't really want it.

To Liam - From Louis: I don't know. You should be asleep Payno, it's half 3.

He locked his phone again, placing it into his pocket before standing up and stretching his legs. He hoped he would start feeling tired soon, because his mind raced five times its normal speed when it was dark outside. He perched himself on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands and groaning to himself.

Then, his heart almost fell into his stomach when he heard the most thunderously loud banging on the front door of his family's house. His mind _screamed_ 'HARRY'. He was frozen still, stilling his breathing for a second, just waiting. He heard his parents' bedroom door open, audible muttering of discussion between then in the hallway. Louis sprang up from his bed at lightning speed, hurriedly leaving his room to find his parents, in their pyjamas, groggy-eyed as they switched the hallway light on.

"Who the hell would that be now?" Jay hissed, pushing Mark forwards slightly, towards the stairs. "Go and answer it, love."

"NO! Wait..." Louis suddenly yelled, causing them both to freeze. Then Lottie and Felicite were leaving their bedroom too, just as exhausted and disorientated. "I... I saw something online saying to never answer your front door in the middle of the night."

It was quite a good save. His voice had wavered with his heartbeat, and his pulse was thickening by the second.

Then, another deafening knock on the door, which provoked the five of them to physically jump.

"Mum, I'm scared," Felicite worried, gripping onto her mother's forearm. Louis pulled out his phone, opening his text messages with Harry. He speedily typed out a message and didn't hesitate to press send.

To Harry - From Louis: It's you, isn't it?

He swallowed thickly as he held his phone, waiting, as Mark was attempting to peek out of the curtains. It was too dark to see anything. Luckily Louis' mother and sisters were too distracted by what Mark was doing to notice Louis acting so flustered. Louis' phone buzzed in his hand. He didn't want to look at the response but knew he had to.

To Louis - From Harry: Louis can we talk .xx

Shit. What the hell could he do now? Harry had basically just confirmed without saying it that it was him outside.

"Let's leave it. They'll go." Mark dismissed. "Go back into your rooms, kids."

Then he and Jay were entering their room again, Felicite and Lottie into theirs, and Louis felt so terrifyingly alone in the hallway. He had no idea what he could possibly do but to reason with Harry.

To Harry - From Louis: Please don't do this now. You've woken my family up, they're scared Harry.

He figured he would go back into his bedroom. He jumped into his bed and wrapped his duvet cover tightly around his legs, feeling himself shaking. He watched the text become read, and Harry was typing. Louis' phone vibrated.

To Louis - From Harry: Come downstairs Louis. Open the door .xx

Louis had never felt so eerily freaked out.

To Harry - From Louis: No Harry. Go home.

To Louis - From Harry: Not until you're leaving with me .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Fuck you Harry. I'm about to send my dad down there if you don't get the fuck out of here right now.

He was coming across as powerful over texts, but in reality he was shaking as he held his phone. He wanted this to stop. He wanted Harry gone.

To Louis - From Harry: It's about time I met your dad, I've known you long enough. Just a shame you can't meet mine .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Get the FUCK away from my house. Now.

To Louis - From Harry: If you come down here and give me a hug, I'll leave .xx

Louis began lightly hyperventilating, short breaths in and out, tears prickling his eyes. He locked his phone and threw it down onto his bed, throwing his blanket off himself and storming out of his room. Across the corridor and down the stairs.

He turned on the light when he reached the front door, freezing in front of it with shallow breaths and tears gliding down his cheeks. Harry was stood on the other side of that door. Did he really trust him enough to open it?

He thought back to all the times he could think of where trusting Harry was possible. He thought about the alluring scent of Harry's aftershave, and the warmth in his hugs.

He unlocked the door and slowly opened the door.

He threw himself into Harry's arms, who wrapped his arms so tightly around Louis that it hurt, and sobbed quietly against Harry's chest.

"It's okay," Harry whispered, "I'm sorry. It's okay."

"I fucking hate you." Louis whispered through the tears, only just audible enough for Harry to hear. "And I miss you."

"I'm sorry for startling you and your family. I just really needed someone tonight. I'm so scared." Harry breathed, and Louis could hear weakness behind his voice. "And I know that you don't want to see me anymore. I needed to hug you right now. You calm me down before I think of doing anything stupid."

Their embrace finally ended, and Louis knew that he looked like an absolute mess, yet Harry looked at him like he was the whole world.

"You should have texted me first, Harry. I was so fucking scared. God, I really shouldn't be talking to you right now."

"I know you shouldn't."

Louis sighed deeply, before taking Harry's large hand in his, smoothing his thumb over the soft skin on the back of it.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Harry shrugged.

"I can't let you in here." Louis informed him, strictly. "Or go anywhere with you."

"Is this the last time I'm going to properly see you?" Harry suddenly questioned, staring Louis squarely in the eye. Louis dropped Harry's hand again and nodded.

"Yes." He vocalised. "We can't see each other anymore. We've had enough chances."

"Fuck you then." Harry snapped. Louis' eyebrows furrowed quickly.

"Excuse me?" He exclaimed, in disbelief.

"Fuck you, Louis." Harry's voice had suddenly turned stone cold, face dropping in anger. "I am going to fucking see you again, retraining order or not."

Louis stepped back and slammed the front door in Harry's face, twisting the key in the lock, bolting the door and pulling across the curtain. He ran up the stairs, into his bedroom, and threw himself down onto his bed to finish crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry's changing moods eh?
> 
> What do you think will happen next? Is Louis too in love to let go?


	39. Chapter 39

Louis was fully expecting to wake up to a stream of texts from Harry, however his phone held no notifications when he checked it. He even found himself refreshing his text messages, figuring his phone had maybe made a mistake; still no messages. The last one had been the one he had sent last night: _If you come down here and give me a hug, I'll leave .xx_

Surprisingly, the first emotion that hit Louis was worry. Harry had been very needy and on edge last night when Louis had hugged him, plus it was so early in the morning. What if Harry wasn't _okay?_ What if he had gotten himself into some stupid trouble? Louis should have been glad to not seen any sign of Harry on his phone screen, but honestly he wasn't. He was worried sick.

He couldn't just text Harry and ask whether he was okay, either; he had to stick to his guns and ignore Harry. Besides, perhaps Harry was even doing this on purpose to induce a message from Louis. He wasn't going to fall for that shit.

Facebook seemed like a good source to find out Harry's thoughts and whereabouts, so that was what Louis was surfing the net for once he had brushed his teeth and had a shower. It was funny how he was already returning to Harry's Facebook page, having only been on it about seven hours ago, but this time it was important - not just to stalk through Harry's photos.

The first thing he saw was a new profile picture.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=5n0kk3)

It was a sight for sore eyes indeed. Harry just had the most perfect face: big, enticing eyes. Louis couldn't believe how perfect Harry's face was.

There was also a new status update. It had been posted at just gone five o'clock that morning and it made Louis' stomach clench in crippling jealousy.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=10mu9te)

Louis felt like he couldn't breathe. Grief flooded his insides, taking over every crevice, and mental images of Harry with a mystery woman invaded his brain. Harry had probably fucked this nameless woman on that same bed that he made love to Louis on. He felt physically sick. Knowing that he wasn't the most recent person to sleep with Harry made him consider whether Harry was really serious about a relationship with Louis.

And then, as usual, Louis realised how difficult he was being. He had specifically told Harry _many_ times now that there wasn't a chance in hell they would be together. He couldn't fuck Harry around too much.

Then came the most stupid move Louis had ever made. He attempted to click on the _93 likes_ part of the status, eager to see if any women had liked it, but he accidentally pressed _the like button._

"No, no, no!" He panicked, hurriedly unliking it. "Fuck! For fuck's sake!"

He knew it would barely be of any use unliking it because Harry had most likely already got the notification. What fucking message did that send, Louis liking that?!

He honestly hated himself for not being more careful. And considering he wasn't even friends with Harry on Facebook, that was even more of a fuck-up: Harry would know Louis was visiting his Facebook with intent. He decided he would close his Facebook altogether. He didn't want to look at Harry masquerading as a "womaniser" any longer.

* * *

Louis saw no sign of Harry all day, even while hanging out at the usual milkshake café with Niall and Liam. His friends were visibly apprehensive throughout the visit, occasionally glancing out the window in case Harry's slender figure could be spotted heading towards the door... but no. It was very much Harry-free.

Louis decided he wouldn't tell his mates about Harry's late-night visit to his house, but he did decide to mention Harry's Facebook status.

"Does that mean he's moving on, then?" Liam speculated, stirring his milkshake with the straw. Louis could see Liam's reasoning, however it wasn't exactly the case. Harry had always used sex with strangers to fix bad times. It was strange how there hadn't been a sign of Harry all day, though.

"Well, I'm unsure. He's always been quite sex-mad." Louis shrugged. "Even while he was trying to get with me, he was always posting about finding hookups."

Niall hummed in thought, before a sly grin stretched onto his face. "Maybe that's all he's trying to get out of you. Sex. Then he'll leave you alone."

Laughable, Niall. Very laughable. If only he knew the truth.

Louis' expression must have given away his thoughts - looking shyly to the side with a slight nervous smile - because his friends were immediately on his case.

"Wait, you... haven't had sex with Harry, right?" Liam caught on, one eyebrow slightly raised in surprise. Louis began frantically shaking his head, determined to keep it a hidden secret, deep in the depths of his mind, but he was a very unconvincing liar. He always had been.

"Of course I haven't! Why would I?" He exclaimed, trying so hard to keep his expression steady. He couldn't give any sign of lies. His eyes usually gave it away for him.

"Are you sure?" Niall pushed, squinting as he eyed Louis carefully. "You make a certain face when you lie. And you always look do the side, you're doing that now."

"I..." Louis gave up slightly by trailing off with a defeated laugh, and his friends sparked into immediate astonishment.

"You have! Are you serious, Louis? When?!" Niall gawped, expression unreadable. Louis couldn't tell whether it held amusement or worry. Maybe both.

"I never said I _did_ ," He extended his lies forevermore, wanting the attention to shift off on him, "Stop putting me on the spot."

"It's kind of obvious you're lying, Louis. It's plain as day." Liam rolled his eyes, but at least they were being nice about it. "So did he become more obsessed after you slept with him? Was this, like, early on in knowing him? When you were on good terms? Maybe that's why he's so addicted to you!"

It now looked so bad for Louis to tell them that he and Harry had sex on the day Harry had strangled Liam. They were sure not to be happy about that, _Christ!_

"I haven't slept with Harry."

 _"Louis."_ Liam scolded, cocking an eyebrow. "Give it up, just tell us, please. You've totally slept with Harry, haven't you?"

Louis comically raised his eyebrows and took a long sip from his milkshake, looking dramatically to the side, causing his friends to gasp.

"When, Louis?!" Niall exclaimed, drumming his hands on the table in front of him.

"I can't exactly remember when," He shrugged. Another lie.

"Don't be annoying, Louis. Was it ages ago or recently?" Liam coaxed.

"Okay, okay! It was on the day he forced me to go to his house!" Louis admitted, before letting his head falling onto his folded arms on the table in embarrassment and pure shame.

"What... the day he held me by my fucking neck against the wall?" Liam's tone had instantly turned scolding and resentful. "Louis, are you stupid or something?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen!" Louis proclaimed, raising his head again and furrowing his eyebrows. "It's just one of those things."

Niall breathed a humourless laugh. "Yeah, Louis, totally relatable, just one of those things. I've totally slept with a fucking murderer without meaning to." He snapped. Louis knew he would get this reaction as soon as he revealed when it had happened. He linked eyes with Liam, trying to convey how sorry he was.

"Listen, I'm sorry. It was really stupid of me, believe me, I know. And I'm sorry for not telling you." He apologised, hands clasped together. Liam looked to be thinking everything over, looking down at the table before he spoke again.

"I just can't believe you chose the worst time possible, Louis. He forces you over to his house and you end up _fucking_ him. Everybody was worried sick, you stopped answering your phone, and now we know why! Literally, what worse thing could you have actually done?"

There was no answer to that question. At least, nothing Louis could just magic up.

"It's happened now. I can't take it back. All I can do now is try to keep things like today, with no signs of him." Louis shrugged in discomfiture. His friends sported concern now, rather than annoyance.

"Let's hope so, Lou. Try not to make any more mistakes."

He knew he would.

* * *

A week passed. Louis saw no sight of Harry, got no texts, no strange visits in the middle of the night. He felt like he had victory over the situation - of course he did - yet he couldn't help but feel so empty without Harry in his life. It had been pretty much constant before, Harry on his mind from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning to the second they closed at night, but now nothing.

There were no more regular posts on Facebook from Harry either, the most recent one being the change of profile picture. Louis was surprised he hadn't received a smug message from Harry regarding the accidental like Louis had left on his status. Harry was laying low.

Was it intentional? Was he doing this so Louis would think he was gone from his life, or was he genuinely just _finished_ with Louis? No - he couldn't be done yet. The infatuation he had with Louis couldn't have been diminished so quickly, he had to have some drastic plan up his sleeve. Louis didn't want to discover what, he simply wanted to know when Harry would show up again. It was quite eerie whenever Louis left his house, especially alone, knowing that maybe Harry would suddenly walk around the corner, or approach him from behind.

Liam or Niall would send a daily text to Louis, every evening, along the lines of: _any sign of him today?_

The answer Louis sent was always no, every single day. There had been many occasions where Louis had typed out a text to Harry, a long paragraph, before he erased it without sending it. _Where_ are _you, Harry? Where have you gone? What are you doing?_

He shouldn't have been so persistent in thinking about Harry. This had been what he wanted, hadn't it? He had pushed so much to get Harry out of his life, but this made him realise just how much he needed small doses of him occasionally. He felt as though nobody else would ever captivate him as much as Harry Styles did.

 

Two weeks.

Two whole weeks passed. Louis still hadn't gotten a text from Harry. He hadn't seen a single _glimpse_ of him in public. He racked his brain, trying to think what could have happened. His mind only conjured up the worst possibilities:

_What if he's moved away?_

_What if he's given up on Louis?_

_What if he's in prison?_

_What if he's_ dead?

 

No. Louis had to stop. He had spent every waking minute of those two weeks in so much emotional pain and worry, dying to know where Harry was. He couldn't put himself through it anymore. He needed to stop thinking about Harry. He wanted to rip open his brain and tear any remnants of Harry from within it, leaving it clean. Safe.

Maybe this was it now. His life may have been restarting itself, turning a new page. This was the stage of his life where he could forget his last errors and live again, safely. Peacefully. Without the stress of Harry doing something irrational.

* * *

A whole month. Well, just over a month. 36 days. Harry took 36 days to show up in Louis' life again.

He was still on Louis' mind throughout the 36-day duration, however more faintly. He would only spark up vividly in Louis' mind when someone mentioned something relevant; the name Harry, for example. It was surprisingly how quickly Louis could forget about Harry when he trained his brain to forget.

Sleeping in a bit later than usual was never a luxury Louis got in his household. There was always something happening between the hours of six and eight in the morning that prompted him awake, usually involving his younger sisters arguing nearby, or his parents talking particularly loudly in the hallway outside his room - with no sensitivity towards their son getting as much sleep as he wanted.

This time, the awakening was something that brought Louis very quickly from weary to wide awake. It caused his breath to hitch and his body to shoot up from his lying position... he overheard Harry's voice downstairs.

At first, he thought he had imagined it. He thought his paranoia-filled mind was playing tricks on him, reminding him that Harry existed. But believe it or not, upon leaving his bedroom as quietly as possible and listening very carefully, he could hear Harry's voice from the front door downstairs. And he was chatting to Louis' mum. It was unexplainable how fast Louis' heart was beating, he could hear the pulse in his head, and he knew his face was probably pale with fright. He didn't want to step one foot towards those stairs.

"Yeah, I've known Louis for quite some time now." Came Harry's voice.

Louis picked up on their conversation, eyebrows furrowing at how friendly Harry was making his tone. He felt himself shiver densely.

"That's lovely, darling. Let me just call him, he's upstairs." Jay beamed.

 **NO!** Louis wanted to sprint back into his room and hide under his blanket like a child. He wanted to run down there and cry into his mum's shoulder, _mum, make him leave._

"Louis!" She called up the stairs, making Louis physically jump, despite it being expected. He stilled his breathing, heart hammering, eyes wide, not knowing what he could possibly do. 

"LOUIS!" She raised her voice in volume, so Louis gulped, coating his dry throat with saliva. He really had no choice now. He opened his bedroom door behind him, just so it sounded like he had only left his bedroom now and wasn't stood in the hallway listening, before he very slowly descended the stairs.

There he was. Harry was casually leaning against the door frame, slender legs crossed at the ankle and arms folded. He had a stupid smirk across his face, eyes narrowing slightly when they met Louis'. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt, skintight black jeans and brown Chelsea boots. Jay was smiling brightly at Louis, expecting him to be just as thrilled.

"Louis, your friend came round to see you."

Louis decided he would leave his face stern as he looked at Harry, and he spoke the first sentence that came to mind.

"Leave, Harry."

Jay's eyebrows crumpled in disappointment while Harry's raised in challenge. What was he possibly expecting, a fucking hug?

"Louis, don't be so rude now..." Jay interjected, grabbing lightly onto Louis' forearm. Louis ignored her and turned to Harry instead, eyes cold.

"I'm going to say it once more. _Leave._ " He warned, putting great emphasis on the final word. Harry began lightly chuckling to himself, an almost evil laugh, and Louis watched Jay's motherly instinct kick in as she realised what this really was.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what's happening here. Louis, do you not want Harry to be here?"

_Obviously not, mum, for fuck's sake._

"I don't want to overcomplicate this, I just want him gone." Louis steadily stated. Jay nodded, looking up at the tall man at their front door.

"Harry, love, I'm sorry but could you go now?" She kindly asked. Any sign of happiness was gone from Harry's face now, replaced by a patronising stare.

"No." He calmly said.

"Mark!" Jay yelled towards the living room door. It only took a few moments for him to be leaving the living room and heading over to them.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" Concern was written on his face as his eyes flicked from her to Harry, then back again. Louis, on the other hand, was trying to look anywhere but at Harry, ultimately failing. Harry was looking Mark up and down competitively, squaring him up, and Louis was worried now.

"Harry, just go now. Please." He whispered to him. "Please."

Harry ignored him, keeping his gaze trained on Mark.

"He's refusing to leave. I don't know what's going on." Jay looked done, shrugging her shoulders hopelessly and rolling her eyes.

"You're trouble, aren't you?" Mark challenged, stepping between Jay and Harry. "I remember you."

From the shopping centre, when Harry had gripped onto Louis' arm a bit too tightly.

"Nice to meet you too, sir." Harry grinned, pearly white teeth in an almost blindingly charming smile.

"I suggest you leave right now, before I call the police." Mark warned. "Don't make me do something I'll regret."

He had to look up at Harry, due to how tall the intimidating boy was, and the stare Harry held with Mark while towering over him was scary just to watch.

"You wouldn't." Harry provoked, voice level. Louis felt helpless watching this. There was that burning thought in the back of his mind that Harry would do something dangerous.

"Dad, stand back." Louis whispered. Mark didn't. Louis was shaking.

"I will if you don't leave our property." Mark continued. Harry's gaze moved away from Mark and felt onto Louis again, scanning down Louis' body slowly and then up again.

"Does it make you want to hurt me anymore if I told you I fucked your son?"

Louis' heart rate plummeted as Mark launched himself at Harry, tackling him to the ground in an instant. He began striking punches at Harry's jaw, over and over again. Louis and Jay sprinted forward, unable to do anything to stop it, watching in absolute terror as Harry inevitably gained power over the situation. He pushed Mark off of him violently before proceeding to strike dangerous blows around his face - boxer-style strikes - and Louis was yelling at him to stop until his throat was raw. Lottie and Felicite were in the hallway behind Louis now, screaming at what they saw, but nobody could do a thing. Jay was attempting to rush forwards to pull Harry off, but Louis held her back so tightly. She couldn't get in Harry's way, she just couldn't.

Mark was still squirming to fight away from Harry, blood visible all around his face, and Louis was tugging with all of his strength on Harry's bicep.

"HARRY, STOP!" He screamed. "PLEASE STOP!"

Harry didn't. He carried on the attack. Mark was now unconscious. Every sound around Louis blurred out - the screams from the family members behind him, the angry grunts Harry was letting out, the sounds of impact, as the biggest threat dawned upon Louis...

"HARRY, YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM! YOU'RE GOING TO FUCKING KILL HIM!" He shrieked in pure terror. Immediately, Harry's attack stopped. He was heavily panting, each breath in cut short as tears were audibly close, and he shakily stood up and backed away three steps. Jay, Lottie and Felicite sprinted forwards to Mark's side, shaking him, calling his name, crying for him to regain consciousness.

But Louis' bewildered eyes remained on Harry, who stared straight back with tears starting in his.

"I'm so sorry." He merely whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah


	40. Chapter 40

Louis discerned a shrill ringing drilling into his brain, obstructing his ordinary train of thought, as he stared at Harry. The boy didn't know what to do with himself as his chest heaved, wild eyes focused back on Louis. There were two streaks of vibrantly red blood painted across Harry's before-white t-shirt, and a smudge on his forehead too from where he had wiped his hand across it in distress. Louis could faintly make out the whimpers of sorrow from his mother and sisters, who still attempted to wake Mark up, but his mind was very much preoccupied by Harry.

 _"We need to call an ambulance right now."_ He heard one say.

"You stupid, inconsiderate boy!" Jay yelled up at Harry, face full of vexation. "I cannot believe it, you crazy son of a bitch."

Louis raised his eyebrows at his mother's use of language (she very rarely swore.) Harry didn't look at Jay for long, his eyebrows furrowed and lips slightly pouted.

"Harry, go." Louis urged, voice monotone, without the acknowledgement of his nearby family members. "Quickly, go!"

He couldn't even _look_ at Harry for any longer. Anger seethed in his veins, building gradually, and he needed Harry gone. Harry's gaze frantically diverted between Louis and the unconscious man on the floor, obeying Louis' command hesitantly. He slipped away from the scene, making the most of the distractions: Jay in tears on the phone to the 999 dispatcher, Lottie and Felicite holding each of Mark's hands, gently, and sobbing to themselves.

Louis watched Harry stroll across the road and jump into his car, not looking back before speeding off down the road, tyres squealing against the asphalt. Then Louis was knelt down and consoling his family, unable to come up with an apology profound enough for what had just happened. He was still speechless... utterly speechless.

* * *

Harry drove home recklessly, swerving through the traffic, earning many blares of car horns. He counted six.

He pulled into his car parking space, stopping the engine and jumping quickly from his car, slamming the door behind him. Each step up those metal stairs, leading to his flat, felt like a mile. He needed to be in his home; hidden.

His flat was still and cold, empty and lonely: the usual. He switched on the hallway light, the kitchen light, his living room light, his bedroom light, the bathroom light - just so it felt less lonely.

Catching himself on his bathroom sink, he steadily breathed from his nose as he stared intensely at himself in the mirror. Not looking away, he switched the cold tap on, putting his hand under the biting stream before lifting it to scrub at his cheek, wiping away the blood until his hand hurt from the effort. His gaze then fell downwards, taking in the bloodied t-shirt adorning him.

"Fuck." He whispered, gripping onto the garment from behind his neck and tearing it from his body. He held it beneath the stream of water, squeezing and wringing the material, watching the water turn a feeble brown-red hue as the blood lifted slightly out from the fabric.

The t-shirt didn't lose the marks fully, two faint smears of blood too sunken in to ever remove again.

"Fucking stupid t-shirt. _Stupid_ bloody, fucking t-shirt!" He roared, tearing the fabric in two in one clean action, throwing it down into a wet pile on the bathroom floor. He turned off the tap and stormed into his bedroom, falling back onto his cold bed. He huffed in breaths as he glared up at the ceiling, hands clasped together on top of his bare stomach.

"Louis." He whispered to himself. A smile spread onto his face. _"Louis."_ He repeated, shutting his eyes and lightly laughing to himself. A tear rolled down his cheeks as he laughed, sorrow contradicting the joy. He began frantically sobbing and laughing, a ludicrous mixture of both, before grabbing his earphones from his bedside table. He retrieved his phone from his pocket, attaching the earphones and slipping them into his ears.

He blared rock music on full volume for the next hour, until his head ached, as he cried.

* * *

An ambulance arrived within eight minutes to escort Mark to A&E. Jay followed the vehicle closely in her car, Louis reflectively staring forwards in the passenger seat. Lottie and Felicite had been urged by Jay to stay at home and take care of the twins, meaning the tense silence between Louis and his mum was intense.

"I'm sorry." Louis piped up, gaze remaining forward, watching the road ahead of them. There was no reply from Jay. Louis glanced her way momentarily to see worry on her face, yet concentrating on the road. "Mum, I'm sorry." He repeated, louder.

"I know you are, darling." She softly replied, hands clenching on the steering wheel. That was all he got out of her, figuring saying anything more would be pushing it. Right now wasn't the time to have any discussions; that would come later. Over and over again. From his mum, Mark, his sisters.

The doctors told Louis and his mum that Mark would stay overnight in the hospital, so they could go over vitals and check for any indications of head trauma. Louis was very agitated about this, though he knew Mark was going to be fine - the doctor said so. When they had asked how it had happened, Jay had surprised Louis by cutting in to say that he had fallen and hit his head on the kitchen counter.

They had also been informed that Mark had suffered a mild injury to his brain's temporal lobe, meaning he wouldn't remember what happened for a few days. That was both good and bad for Louis; he wouldn't have to be faced immediately with questions from Mark, yet he would have some explaining to do when he did find remember.

Jay told Louis to drive her car home and stay with the girls, while she stayed overnight with Mark. He was reluctant, knowing his two oldest sisters knew very well what had taken place earlier that day, but he had to do as he was told. He was thinking of Harry as he drove home, very vividly. He drove the route past Harry's apartment block, just so he could stare intently at the building as he sped by. The deep worry was that Harry was sat in that apartment _alone_ right now, at the most unstable of times. Louis didn't know how Harry coped with it, but he hoped it was positive. Maybe Harry slept off the stress.

The moment he walked through the front door of his house, Felicite and Lottie hurried out of the living room to see who was there. Their faces visibly showed disappointment to see Louis.

"Dad's not come back, then?" Lottie spoke the obvious, as Louis passed them to enter the living room, falling back onto the sofa and running a hand through his hair.

"Obviously not." He snapped, avoiding meeting their eyes. "Staying overnight. He'll be okay. Where are the twins?"

"They're playing upstairs," Felicite informed him, her gaze patronising. "How's Harry?"

Louis cocked an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean, how's Harry?" He spat. "How would I know? Why are you asking that?"

Felicite shrugged, picking at her nail. "Dunno. Just seems like he's a bit of a lunatic."

Louis huffed out a laugh and muttered, "You don't know the half of it."

His sisters heard his comments but chose not to speculate on it. Louis could tell Felicite had always been curious about Harry, having been the one out of her and Lottie to know a bit about him. She was the one who had witnessed Harry approaching Louis in the supermarket, and the stupid comments Harry had left on Louis' profile pictures. She knew partially who he was, which was the explanation as to why she was so quizzical. There was a silence in the room as the three of them thought, brains whirring. Nobody wanted to speak first. Louis knew it would have to be him who did.

"If Daisy or Phoebe ask, tell them dad just had a bad fall." He filled the silence, shattering it. "They'll worry otherwise. Harry is my problem, I don't want him burdening everyone."

"Or you don't want him to get into trouble?" Felicite offered, raising an eyebrow. "Look, Lou, we don't know much about your relationship with Harry-"

"I don't know a thing about it." Lottie cut in, earning a scolding look from her sister for interfering.

"- _But,_ " Felicite continued, "We all want you to be safe. And from what I've learnt about Harry, he doesn't seem stable... at all. I mean, he was practically stalking you, right? Now he turns up at our house and knocks our dad unconscious! That's not normal. You cannot tell me it's normal."

"I didn't say it _was_." Louis shrugged, sighing.

"Have you been in contact with Harry recently? Before today, I mean." She continued her investigation, and Louis' brain sparked into thought.

"Well, I had tried not to be. And for over a month he didn't message me or bother me at _all_ , he just showed up this morning without warning." He explained. He figured now would be the best time to mention Harry knocking on the door during the early hours of the morning many nights ago. "And that knocking on the door last month, at 3 in the morning..."

"Louis, we heard you go downstairs and answer it." Lottie rolled her eyes. "We worked out today that it was probably Harry then. It just added up."

Oh. Well, Louis had been sure they were all asleep when he snuck downstairs.

"Anyway, do you think you should text Harry?" Felicite brought up. Louis looked at her as though she was mad.

"What, really? You think that would be good now? Surely I should ignore him, shouldn't I? What he did was unforgivable."

"Well, yes," Felicite reasoned, "But in psychology at school, we learnt that unstable people often need somebody close to them after something like that happens to them, after they react violently to something. Otherwise they can be very prone to experiencing suicidal tendencies."

Harry had no one.

 _"Shit."_ Louis breathed, hurriedly pulling his phone from his pocket. Lottie and Felicite exchanged looks: _he really cares about him, actually. ___

He tapped onto his text conversation with Harry, speedily typing out a message and not hesitating to press send.

To Harry - From Louis: Where are you? What are you doing?

He realised that his frantic and worried attitude wasn't exactly conveyed in the text, and maybe it even sounded like he wanted to meet up with Harry, but it was there nonetheless.

"Louis, do you think he would have actually _killed_ dad?" Lottie suddenly queried. There was a shake in her voice, as though it had been a question she had wanted to ask since Louis had screamed for Harry to stop the attack.

"Maybe." Was Louis' answer.

* * *

Harry's breathing had shallowed as he lay on his back. He had turned the music off and set his phone aside a long time ago now, the music becoming too deafening and interfering with his already swirling mind.

He had no idea where his mind _was_ at the moment, it was anywhere but present. All he could think about was Louis. And blood. But not together, never together. He kept his dark thoughts separate from his thoughts about Louis.

Louis was sure to hate him now, that was all he could think. The look of pure hatred he had given him proved it. He thought Harry was too unhinged. He hated Harry. He thought he was crazy.

Just as these thoughts raced through Harry's overworked mind, his phone loudly vibrated on his bedside table. It was terrifying how loud that sounded in his headache-affected head.

His mind said _Louis._

He reached out for his phone while hazily humming to himself, an eerily happy tune, and unlocked the phone to see that his mind was correct. But why? Why was Louis texting him? Why?

To Harry - From Louis: Where are you? What are you doing?

"Fuck off, Louis." He whispered to himself. He replied anyway, despite his verbal outburst.

To Louis - From Harry: I'm at home.

He knew he had only answered one of the questions. It was intentional. He didn't want to give Louis every piece of information. He _wanted_ him to worry.

Another text came through. He wondered why Louis was even doing this, wasn't he disgusted by Harry now? Didn't he want him as far away as possible?

To Harry - From Louis: On your own?

Harry sighed.

To Louis - From Harry: Yes.

To Harry - From Louis: You shouldn't be on your own now. Could you invite Ed round?

He didn't want Ed to come round.

To Louis - He's busy. So... Are you going to get another boyfriend now?

He didn't know why he had sent that. He was just worried, his mind spinning into overdrive: _Louis is going to fall in love with somebody else now. You've blown all of your chances, you stupid fucking..._

To Harry - From Louis: I never had a boyfriend anyway, I don't know why you used 'another'

"Because I never meant anything to you." Harry grumbled to himself, half sarcastic.

To Louis - From Harry: You're going to fall in love with somebody else now. Just leave me alone please, thanks .xx

Harry locked his phone and physically threw it across the bedroom, smiling as he watched its battery fly out and clatter to the floor.

 

 

"He's not replying now," Louis worried, having sent a reply of 'No Harry, I don't want you to be alone right now.'

He tried calling Harry, as Lottie had advised, but it went straight to voicemail. Louis felt sick to his stomach with worry, even more worried than he was about Mark (as disgustingly inconsiderate as that sounded.) Harry was alone right now, in his flat, having not too long ago been moments away from killing again. He couldn't be alone.

"I don't know what you can do. Definitely don't go over to his house, Lou... hmm," Felicite thought deeply. "Could you message one of his friends and get them to go and check on him?"

That was a good idea, as awkward as it may be. Louis had already suggested to Harry he invite Ed round (after remembering he had been quite mature) but Harry said he was busy. That left Zayn.

Louis thanked his sisters for their help, shocked that this was the outcome, and ran upstairs to get his laptop. He logged into Facebook as fast as he ever had before, typing Zayn's name into the search bar. He clicked on 'message' and began spontaneously typing.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Hi Zayn. It's Louis obviously. I know this is gonna be confusing but I'm just very concerned about Harry right now. He's alone in his flat and he's very vulnerable right now. I will explain all later, could you please just maybe drop round there and make sure he's okay?_

_He pressed send. Zayn hadn't been online for 3 hours. That was a worry. Louis waited 10 minutes for a reply._

**Zayn "Zain" Malik:** _Yeah ok louis I will go over there_

Oh, thank God. 

* * *

Harry was drunk. Very intensely drunk. He had headed to his kitchen and downed 8 shots of vodka in a row. The room danced around him, stabilising himself on the counter and swaying lightly. He heard a heavy thump at his door which made his head spin even more. He headed towards it, mind once again saying _Louis._ He almost fell over altogether as he reached front door, catching himself on the wall by it before twisting the key to open it up. 

He saw Zayn stood there. 

"Shut up, Zayn." Harry drawled out the vowels within those words, slurring each syllable, eyes lolling shut slightly. 

"Oh my God," Zayn stressed, rubbing a hand over his mouth. "Louis sent me here, Harry. He's worried about you." 

"Looouis," Harry shut his eyes, head falling back onto the cushion behind his head. "Fuuuckin' Louis." And then he was breaking into sudden tears, brought on by his heavy drunkenness, pulling Zayn in suddenly and locking him in a tight hug. Zayn rubbed Harry's back and allowed him to cry onto his shoulder. 

"It's okay, Harry, let it out." 

"I near- I nearly killed his da- dad." Harry stammered through the tears, followed by a sharp hiccup. "I'm a psycho, Zayn!" 

"Fuck, Harry." Zayn sighed. "You need help, seriously." 

"I-I know." Harry managed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you think Harry will kill again?
> 
> I guess only I know ;)
> 
> Question: do you like seeing into Harry's point of view or would you rather him remain a mystery in future chapters?


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *needs editing*

Louis was sat in sheer boredom in his biology class when his phone vibrated in his pocket, emitting a loud buzz against the chair he was sat in. He blatantly ignored the stares from his classmates, putting down his pen and discreetly checking it under the table. It was a Facebook message from Zayn.

 **Zayn "Zain" Malik:** _I went to harrys last night, he was really drunk...he sort of told me what happened with your dad but didnt say why or how. just checked on him this morning via text. a nasty hangover is all he has so he is alright for now_

Louis felt relieved that this hadn't been a bad experience, speaking to Zayn and asking him to check up on Harry. It was pretty awkward thinking up what to put back to Zayn, but all in all it was okay. Louis glanced up, making sure his teacher was still focused on his computer screen, before replying.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Thanks so much Zayn. I'm glad he's okay, hopefully he will feel well by tomorrow :)_

Of _course_ Harry wouldn't feel 'well' by tomorrow. Yes, his hangover would have passed, but he couldn't sleep off, or take aspirin to cure, his mental state. That would always be bad, Louis was sure of it.

He had insisted on staying off school, to be at home when Mark arrived back from the hospital, but Jay had told him he would be better off going to school and acting as though everything was normal. Mark wasn't going to want too much fuss made over him. Louis was quite glad about that.

He wasn't looking forward to getting home from school, because Mark being there would mean he and Jay would inevitably question him a bit about how he _really_ knew Harry - especially considering Harry had mentioned when he had fucked Louis. That made Louis very, very embarrassed, and he really would rather not discuss that with his parents. _Yeah, mum, I had sex with a maniac._

He had briefly told Niall and Liam what had happened, which staggered them. Everyone knew Harry was pretty crazy but no one every expected he would do something so profoundly drastic. Louis really did think Harry could have killed Mark, with a few more punches. He had managed to injure Mark's temporal lobe and give him temporary memory loss; Louis didn't know how he could sit with Harry in his house and feel so tranquil.

Maybe not so much now, but before.

Something within him did long for that again: to be sat on Harry's sofa with him, laughing together and just _talking._ Why was he not immensely furious with Harry? What he had done was absolutely not okay. Love did weird things to people.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Was the first question Louis fired at Mark, who he found in the living room with Jay when he got home, watching television with his head rested back on a pillow propped behind it. He paused the television when he acknowledged Louis, which sat in the armchair facing the couch

"Recovering," He softly smiled, a bright smile. "Just feels like a bad migraine now, really."

Louis felt really bad. He wanted to say so, but he knew this would provoke the Harry-related questions. A sympathetic smile was his response. 

Louis wanted to know whether Mark remembered the incident yet. The head trauma couldn't have been bad enough to lose his memory for too long, could it?

Louis speedily stood up, wanting to quickly escort himself to his bedroom, but he was stopped just as his hand wrapped around the doorhandle.

"Louis, I think we need to have a chat." Jay said. Louis let his hand drop to his side, sighing to himself before returning in defeat to his previous position in the armchair.

"Yeah, go ahead, question me." He flailed a hand before putting it to his forehead.

"Don't be so surprised, young man. I do remember what happened, we need some answers." Mark scolded, pointing a finger at Louis. Louis childishly shrugged, picking at his nail now and looking down at his feet.

"Who's Harry, then?" Jay began, staring intently at Louis. "He can't just be no one."

"He's..." Louis trailed off in deep thought, mind scouring for an answer through the deep depths of the rules of love. "...my ex-boyfriend."

Was he? Louis didn't even know what Harry was to him. And he knew that if he said 'just a friend', he would then get a grilling about why he shouldn't just have casual sex with friends.

"And how long were you seeing him before you broke up?"

Louis had no idea how long he had known Harry, but Jay's question did put him on the spot. It caused him to realise just how long he had known Harry for.

"Since... what was the day I lost my car keys?"

Jay furrowed her eyebrows. "Umm... two months ago? Three, maybe?"

Well, now was December the sixth, and he had lost his keys around late September - just over two months ago.

"That long." He answered. "Well, actually, no, we didn't start dating then, but that's when we met."

Jay and Mark exchanged looks, before he spoke up. "I trust you've lost all communication with him now? I'd bloody hope so, Louis..."

_Well, no. Louis had actually text him just last night._

"Of course." It was such a lie. It was an awful lie which brimmed with future consequences. He wished it could be the truth, but he was still in love. Stupidly.

"Okay, as long as you're sure. We won't embarrass you for any longer, just please make sure you never talk to that boy again. He's trouble. _Major_ trouble."

"Okay." Louis faked a smile. "I promise."

Then he walked up to his room, probably to visit Harry's Facebook page again. Most likely.

* * *

Another week passed. A Harry-less week, lacking any texts, calls of sightings. Louis had been to school, been out with friends, driven his family members here, there any everywhere... no signs of him. But it was probably fake, as usual; he had thought Harry was gone for good, before he showed up and put Mark in hospital.

 

To Louis - From Harry: I really want to sing you to sleep .xx

The text had popped up on Louis' phone screen as he watched a YouTube video. His eyes flicked over it and he felt his heart flutter somewhat. But, still, it had only been just over a week since 'the incident', he couldn't be soppy and loving in an instant.

Harry just had such a gorgeous singing voice, even though Louis had only heard it once, back when Harry sang along to a song on the television to showcase one of his secret talents. Louis wished he could hear that singing voice again, without the deep guilt of knowing he was going against his parents, by not only continuing to communicate with Harry, but also meeting with him in person.

He was really stuck on whether to reply. The sheer thought of Harry _having_ the thought of singing Louis to sleep actually hurt his heart; it was the most adorable thing he could imagine. He wanted to lay his head on Harry's pillow, by his side, hearing those gentle words of song as Harry stroked his hand.

_Fuck._

He wanted to make out with Harry again, too. He had realised this when the though arose earlier that day, the way Harry's lips felt: managing to feel soft and rough at the same time, tasting tantalising and sweet. He wanted to rake a hand through Harry's hair and stare into his bright, green eyes, which held so many secrets, regrets and desires.

To Harry - From Louis: I want that too. But it can't happen.

To Louis - From Harry: I know. And it's painful .xx

Very.

Louis didn't reply again, proceeding to continue watching the YouTube video. But inevitably, another message popped up as he tried.

To Louis - From Harry: You're at home, aren't you? .xx

Louis immediately found himself looking over at his window. His curtains were shut. His gut instinct had told him that Harry as stood across he road, looking over through his window, but it wasn't possible. Maybe Harry was outside, though, and saw his car in the driveway...

To Harry - From Louis: Harry, don't tell me you're outside my house.

To Louis - From Harry: No, I just know. Guess I know you well .xx

How did knowing somebody well determine knowing their whereabouts? That wasn't knowing somebody well, it was being a psychic. There was a vast difference.

To Harry - From Louis: So you're not outside my house. And how do I know that for sure?

It was a plausible question, right? Harry could easily have said that, yet could be lurking in the dark outside. It was worth questioning. 

Louis waited a minute or two for a reply, which came in the form of a picture message.

It was a selfie, a simple selfie, yet made Louis' stomach tingle. It looked as though Harry were lying back on his bed, hair slightly ruffled in the hottest of ways, eyes squinting sexily and the slightest smirk on his face. He knew how hot he was; the smirk screamed it. He looked to be shirtless, with the photo taken from the shoulders up, pronounced collarbones visible at the bottom of the shot.

A photo shouldn't have struck Louis as deeply as it had. Just _holy fuck._ He couldn't give Harry the satisfaction, it was what he wanted. He wanted to reel Louis straight back in.

To Harry - From Louis: How do I know you didn't take that another time?

He smirked _himself_ at the smart-arse reply, knowing how frustrated it would make Harry.

This was very much conveyed in his response.

To Louis - From Harry: Are you seriously going to ignore how hot I looked in that picture? .xx

Cocky? Yes. But he had the right to be - he was drop-dead gorgeous.

To Harry - From Louis: It was okay, Harry Styles.

To Louis - From Harry: Don't be sassy with me, Louis Tomlinson .xx

He found himself smiling. He could see in his head the image of Harry's smug smile as he typed out that message, radiating from his face like a diamond in rock. Why were they flirting now? Harry had just "magically" guessed where Louis was (though being at home was an easy guess) yet Louis chose to be flirtatious instead.

To Harry - From Louis: I was being reasonable. Was just wondering how you know where I am currently.

He had completely forgotten about the stupid YouTube video, Harry having won his attention.

To Louis - From Harry: Well, I can prove that I just know. This morning at 11, you were at the park. Yesterday at 6:30pm, you were at that pub on the corner of the high street .xx

Okay... what the actual fuck? How could Harry possibly know that? He thought he was being smart, proving that he wasn't currently outside Louis' house, but how in the world did he have the exact time and location of two random places Louis had recently visited? Had he followed Louis' car? Louis hadn't driven to the park that morning, he had walked there with the twins, while he was pretty sure he didn't see many people at all. And the evening before, they had gone to that restaurant for Jay's best friend's anniversary; they had gotten a taxi there.

Louis got the vibe that Harry was psychic, but then quickly discarded it. That was ridiculous. Harry just have just been... very good at working out where Louis was.

To Harry - From Louis: How do you know those things? The exact times

To Louis - From Harry: I just know. I love you .xx

Louis shook his head and closed his conversation with Harry. Although he knew he would return to it soon to look at that damn selfie again.

* * *

Louis couldn't help but think that Harry knew exactly were he was, as and his friends sat in a different café than usual, just under a week after the eerie text conversation with Harry. They were beginning to grow sick of the usual milkshake café, sadly. Plus, all Louis would be able to think about with that place now was the last time they had visited, where he was grilled about having sex with Harry. It wasn't exactly a fun association.

Niall was playing a game on Louis' phone, like a young child, as he seemed to need constant entertainment to be truly content. He was dying to beat Louis' high score, whispering a swear word under his breath each time he failed (which was most of the time.)

"Niall, you're not going to beat his score." Liam chuckled, watching Niall's face which strained in concentration.

"Yes, I will." He contradicted, absolutely determined. "Even if we're sat here for the next month."

Louis snickered a laugh, drumming his fingers on the wooden table and watching Niall in amusement. He had always been competitive, determined to beat his friends at just about whatever he could. Louis didn't see the point in it.

"I swear this thing is rigged." Came Niall's angered allegation, a few moments later. "Seriously, it is literally impossible to get what you got, Louis."

"Well, obviously it isn't because he got it." Liam smirked. Niall looked up at him through his eyelashes.

"Shut up, Liam." He grumbled.

Louis rolled his eyes playfully at Niall's attitude.

"Niall, you're turning lethal. Pass me the phone now." He outstretched his hand, waiting for Niall to hand it over.

"Just a few more turns, please?" Niall pleaded, continuing to play anyway.

"You've had more than enough turns on that, Niall, it won't make a difference. Phone, please." He commanded, continuing to hold his hand out across the table. Niall rolled his eyes, locking the phone before _attempting_ to slap the phone down into Louis' hand...

Only he completely missed, sending the phone crashing down to the tiled floor of the café. Louis immediately pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, holding his breath.

"I'm sorry, Lou! I didn't mean to." Niall apologised, reaching over to scoop the phone up and do the crucial check for damage. "Ah, shit."

"Sounds promising. Come on, Niall, break it to me." Louis sighed. Niall turned the phone in Louis' direction to reveal that the screen was _completely_ shattered. "You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

He snatched his cracked phone from Niall, running his finger along the shattered glass as though it would magically repair. He glared up at Niall, who sported the most sorry look Louis had ever seen.

"Sorry." He repeated, eyebrows curbed upwards in the centres with guilt.

"It was a mistake, don't worry." Louis shrugged, while staring at the broken screen. The phone had turned off too, facing the impact, and refused to turn back on.

"You can take it to the Apple store round the corner, they can have that fixed for you in an hour." Liam advised, pointing a thumb out the window of the café.

"And how much will that cost?"

"About thirty quid," Niall cut in, "Which I will pay. Come on, let's go now."

It was fair enough. Louis' phone could have probably done with a new, fresh screen anyway.

* * *

About an hour and a quarter after giving in Louis' phone for repair, an automated text sent to Liam's phone number, which they had given in, telling him that it was fixed and ready for collection. It was about time, too - Louis realised just how much his phone meant to him. They walked back up to the shop, entering it and basking in the warm rush of air from the air con above the door.

The man who had taken Louis' phone in led them over to the payment desk, setting Louis' phone down gently. Niall was getting a few £10 notes out of his wallet, ready to pay, when the worker (whose name tag read 'Alex') brought something up.

"Just wanted to ask something about the phone," He said, eyebrows slightly furrowed in curiosity. His eyes met Louis'. "Did you know there was a GPS microchip tracker in it?"

Louis' expression remained the same: completely blank in shock. The man then scooped up said 'tracker' from on the counter, beside the phone, passing it to Louis. He could feel Niall and Liam gawping at him, but he simply stared at the small piece of technology in awe.

Harry.

"I had no idea." He shook his head, linking eyes with Alex again. "No, thanks for telling me."

"That's no problem, mate. I just spotted it while I was doing the repair, figured maybe your parents are looking out for you, hey?" He chuckled, as he typed something in on the till. "That will be thirty-two pounds, please."

Louis continued to stare at the microchip as Niall handed over £35 in notes.

Louis couldn't believe it. How? How was there a microchip in his phone? How had Harry managed to fucking do that?

"That's three pounds change and your receipt. Thank you, Gentlemen." Alex concluded, handing it over to Niall before giving a final nod and strolling away.

"Lou..." Liam shook him slightly. "Come on, let's talk about this outside."

Then it dawned on Louis: when Harry had 'confiscated' his phone at his house! Harry had pretended he needed to go and change his t-shirt and had wandered into his bedroom with Louis' phone... he must have planted it in there during that time, before masking it by emailing his boxing instructor in the meantime.

Louis felt absolutely idiotic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope it doesn't seem as though the story is moving onto new topics too fast? And btw I have very limited knowledge on technology so I'm sorry if the microchip stuff isn't even possible!! It's a fictional story, so hey :)


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a long update for you as a sorry for missing a couple of updates

Louis' first emotion that seethed significantly within him was _betrayal_ \- not necessarily fury or embarrassment now. How could Harry do that to him? He thought he was being reasonable while Louis was at his house, other than what had occurred beforehand, but he was obviously wrong. Liam and Niall were shooting questions Louis' way, a tidal wave of curiosity and bewilderment, but Louis dismissed them all entirely and said he didn't want to talk about it. Because he didn't.

In fact, he headed straight home after they had left the Apple store, because quite frankly, he couldn't be bothered with this. He was trying to work out what to do with the microchip now, absolutely astounded that Harry had gone to such lengths, although it was pretty much expected by now. It couldn't have been cheap. Louis meant that much to him, knowing where Louis _was_ meant that much to him.

He realised that knowing about the microchip now could be used to his advantage. If he wanted a day out without Harry knowing where he was, he could simply leave it at home, and that's where Harry would assume he was. Or, alternatively, he could throw the damn thing into a lake... however that could worry Harry, if it didn't bug out, as he would wonder why the hell Louis' phone was in a river. The worry would probably kill him.

Then again, Louis did want to confront Harry about it; he didn't want to go on as an unaware idiot and let Harry think he had the upper hand and that it was still his secret. It was out now. Louis wondered whether all of Harry's secrets were.

* * *

It was the 17th of December (and the final day at school before the Christmas break) meaning just a week until Louis' 18th birthday, and a week and a day until Christmas day. He didn't feel the deep excitement that he used to; maybe everything happening with Harry had changed his perspective on things. He was just as disorganised as every year for Christmas, still needing to buy presents for those closest to him on the minimum budget in his bank account.

As he was sat in his English lesson, and they had all been individually set the task of reading the next chapter of the novel they were studying, Louis' mind began to wander. It wandered so much that he found himself having to reread words and sentences over again, not processing them properly, and he knew that he should have really gotten his head down and concentrated but he couldn't.

As usual, Harry occupied his mind.

 _Should he get Harry a Christmas present?_ This was a difficult question. Harry had betrayed him again, planting the microchip in Louis' phone for maximum coverage of his location, yet he was so, so alone and Louis did still care about Harry. He did want some sort of revenge against Harry, some childish comeuppance, but that was just his personality: he couldn't just let Harry get away with it.

 _Was Harry going to spend Christmas day on his own?_ Louis was sparked with guilt when this question hit. Maybe Zayn or Ed would spend the day with him? But surely they had their own families to be with. Maybe Harry really was going to be alone.

"Okay, everybody, I trust you've all caught up on the chapter by now, seeing as I gave you a good length of time," Said their English teacher, popping on her glasses. _Oh no._ "Could somebody sum up, in the briefest form, what happened in chapter 26?"

Louis kept his eyes down, _God,_ he didn't look up, but luck didn't seem to be on his side today whatsoever.

"Louis?"

_Well fuck._

His gaze shot up, startled, to meet her eyes, as she expectantly looked back, book in hand on the open page. Louis gulped, pretty visibly, glancing at Niall for help - uselessly. Niall shrugged, as though to say 'what do you expect me to do?'

"I... I have no idea." Louis stuttered, hating everybody's eyes being on him. He felt so damn _stupid,_ they had been reading for twenty minutes or more and now he looked completely dumb and illiterate. "Sorry."

"So, you're telling me you spent the last twenty-five minutes staring into space, Mr. Tomlinson?" She raised an eyebrow, annoyance striking her face. Louis pouted his mouth to the side, looking away from her and nodding in defeat. "I'm very disappointed, Louis. Could somebody please give Louis a summary? As clearly he didn't bother doing what I asked of you all."

Louis really wanted to roll his eyes. Liam raised his hand quickly, making Louis feel slightly better, remembering how great his friends were. Liam gave a very in-depth summary for Louis, bringing him up to speed immediately, and he nodded and winked at Liam as a thank-you. Louis knew that he would have to leave the classroom quickly, in amongst his peers, at the end of the lesson in order to avoid being singled out by their teacher and interrogated. That was the last thing he needed.

* * *

Lunchtime came around quickly. Louis' friends noticed how distracted he had been, but they chose not to question him on it, especially considering what he had just discovered about Harry. Louis received a rather sentimental text from Harry, as he aimlessly scrolled through his Instagram feed at the canteen table.

To Louis - From Harry: I really miss my mum Louis .xx

Harry was probably reflecting on Christmas day, too, seeing as it was so close now. It hurt Louis. He couldn't even imagine being in Harry's position; his mother and sister had packed their bags and just _left_ him forever. He was living such a solitary life.

Louis was really considering not replying, knowing he had to get back at Harry in some way for the tracking incident, but he decided for now that he would reply.

To Harry - From Louis: I can imagine

It wasn't much of a reply, but it was something at least.

To Louis - From Harry: I'm really lonely right now .xx

That seemed understandable - Harry's only hobby was boxing and Louis. If he wasn't boxing, he was texting Louis. If he wasn't texting Louis, he was boxing.

To Harry - From Louis: Go and do some boxing practice?

The replies were almost instant every time from Harry.

To Louis - From Harry: I can't overdo it. I've already done 3 hours this morning .xx

The vigorous exercise Harry did explained why he had such a gorgeously toned body. But Louis shouldn't have been thinking about that right now.

To Harry - From Louis: Watch a movie. Do some cooking. Read a book. Go for a walk or drive. Write a song.

Louis found it so cute, the thought of Harry doing any of the leisurely activities he had suggested. But Harry's reply ended it.

To Louis - From Harry: Might just go pick up a girl to fuck .xx

Louis stared at his screen, reading over the text again, in the unlikely event that maybe he had misread it. His insides twisted in jealousy, fingers locking tighter around his phone. He couldn't let himself become too jealous in his response.

To Harry - From Louis: Do that then.

He really did not want Harry to do that. But at the same time, he wanted to appear as though he didn't give a shit. He wanted to make Harry jealous too, but he didn't know how.

To Louis - From Harry: Maybe I will .xx

Louis locked his phone and didn't look at it again.

* * *

Louis decided he would get back at Harry through making him jealous too, although this did seem like a very dangerous move. How bad could it really be?

He, Niall and Liam decided to head to their local nightclub tonight - the one which allowed teenagers aged 16 and upwards. Louis was buttoning up his shirt when Harry texted him - seemingly falling right into the plan.

To Louis - From Harry: What are you doing tonight, Louis? .xx

Louis smirked to himself, perching on the edge of his bed as he quickly thumbed back a response.

To Harry - From Louis: Just a quiet night in I think.

Definitely quite the opposite. He did feel slightly bad about doing this, but then he remembered both the microchip _and_ Harry saying he was off to find a random girl to fuck.

To Louis - From Harry: That sounds nice. It's good to relax .xx

Louis finished getting ready, tying up the laces of his VANS and perfecting his hair. He remembered to slip the microchip into his back pocket before heading out to pick up Liam and Niall.

 

Bass boomed from the building as the boys lined up to enter the nightclub. It was very busy, everybody else seeming to have had the same idea to celebrate the start of the Christmas break with a bit of clubbing. By the time they got in, it was a struggle through sweaty dancing bodies to get to the bar. Niall, of the three of them, was the only one who was 18. Louis had a week to wait, and Liam had until next August - bless him - so Niall was responsible (irresponsible) of getting alcohol for the three of them. They found a free table with three high stools, cooped up at the edge of the building, where they all sat with a bottle of beer each.

Louis quickly checked his phone. No notifications yet. He was just waiting for Harry to say something about where he was, but it hadn't come yet.

"C'mon, Lou, put that phone down!" Liam exclaimed over the music, nudging Louis. "Enjoy yourself, man."

Louis nodded in agreement and slid the phone into his pocket, replacing it with his beer bottle and taking a long swig. The flashing lights and booming music was already starting to get to Louis a bit. He was beginning to regret this already.

"Oi, she's fit." Niall whispered to Liam, pointing out a girl amongst the crowd. Louis found himself rolling his eyes, feeling quite left out (as always) when his friends decided to creep on girls. It wasn't like they couldn't point out girls they fancied, but just maybe not in front of Louis. His eyes were wandering around the club too, at all the faces lit up with stroke lights and alcohol consumption, and spotted a rather gorgeous man leaning against the bar.

He was around 6-foot tall (shorter than Harry), with light brown hair styled in a quiff (not quite as nice as Harry's hair), and piercing eyes that looked up to instantly lock with Louis'. Louis held the eye contact. The gorgeous stranger held the eye contact. Louis felt his pulse thicken at the interaction, fingers idly stroking up and down the neck of his beer bottle, rather suggestively. The man's eyes followed Louis' movements before smiling slightly and looking away again.

"Louis Tomlinson!" Niall gawped, in humour, having witnessed what had just happened. "Are you flirting with that guy?"

"Of course not," Louis scoffed, but a smirk radiated through. "Why in the world would I do that?"

"Go and speak to him, Louis." Liam urged, nudging Louis for the second time tonight. "Otherwise your chance will be lost."

"No, it's too early in the night. I'll leave it a while." Louis dismissed, but really it was guilt eating at him. He was thinking about Harry, comparing the stranger to him.

"Whatever you say, Tommo. I'm getting us shots." Niall rubbed his hands together excitedly, jumping down from the barstool to head towards the bar. Louis found the stranger watching him again when he looked up. He looked away this time, feeling his cheeks had flushed up. This was one of the times where he wished Harry didn't exist, so he'd stop fucking comparing everybody to him.

Niall returned five minutes later with six shots cradled in his hands, placing them down carefully before pushing two towards each of his friends.

"Two vodkas each, boys. Ready?"

Louis nodded, taking one in his hand before waiting for Niall's countdown.

"3... 2... 1... down."

They all took down the shot quickly, and Louis' face contorted as the liquid burned its way down his throat. He coughed sharply but smiled through it. He found the stranger watching him with a smug smile etched onto his face. He kind of liked being watched.

"Second one. Ready?"

The boys agreed again, taking the second shot into their hands.

"3... 2... 1... down."

Louis downed the second shot, immediately feeling it swarming his senses, a warm feeling taking over his insides.

"That's more like it, eh, boys?" Liam chuckled, pushing the empty shot glasses into the centre of the table. "Definitely feeling more fun now."

"Yeah," Louis hazily replied, eyes on the stranger again. Eye contact was held once again, and this time Louis decided to be a bit cheeky and drop a wink. The man returned it.

"Louis, mate, you'd seriously be stupid not to talk to him now." Niall sang, grinning at him across the table. "Please, seriously. He seems to really like you."

Louis felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He quickly got it out to see a text from Harry.

To Louis - From Harry: How is your 'quiet night in' going.

No kisses, just a blunt full stop. He knew where Louis was. He didn't reply though, returning his phone to his pocket and returning his attention to the stranger... to find his friends pushing him in Louis' direction.

"Oh shit," Louis shook his head and laughed. "Is he coming over here?"

"Yup." Liam playfully informed, popping the 'p'. Louis felt his stomach dip slightly; he was messing around a bit, really, but now that was happening. Moments later, he was face-to-face with the stranger - who was just as handsome up close. Liam and Niall snickered to themselves before scurrying off to leave them with some privacy.

"Hi." His voice was deep, but not as deep and full as Harry's. "I couldn't help but notice you."

"I'm Louis," He said, confidently sticking out an introductory hand for him to shake.

"Charlie. Pleased to meet you, Louis." He grinned. His teeth weren't as nice as Harry's either. "Are you seeing anyone, Louis?"

_Harry._

"No." He put on a smile. "I'm single."

"Music to my ears. Do you want another drink?" Charlie offered, pointing a thumb towards the bar. Louis shrugged and nodded at the same time. He didn't particularly want another, the previous shots already having gotten to him too easily, but he took the offer and waited while Charlie fetched a couple of Jägerbombs. Louis linked eyes with Liam, who was looking embarrassed on the dance floor with a stupidly dancing Niall, and he wiggled his eyebrows. Louis rolled his eyes in response.

"Here you go, Louis," Charlie returned, handing him a beverage. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Eighteen in a week." He informed, before they both downed their drinks. Charlie slammed down the plastic cup on the table, raising his eyebrows.

"Really? You look a lot older. I'm nineteen." Charlie smiled. "Are you hoping to stay here all night, or...?"

The suggestive trailing off sparked something in Louis' stomach. Charlie was a very good looking guy, and Louis was considering something.

"Well, we could get out of here." He shrugged, surprised by his own willingness. "Though I've probably only been here under an hour."

"Sounds good to me, Louis." Charlie's voice had lowered significantly, hand raising to trail softly along Louis' forearm.

Louis' phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it.

"Cool. We can walk to my place? It's only about five minutes away." Charlie smirked, nudging his head towards the exit to the nightclub. Louis was already on his feet.

"Yeah, I can walk down and get my car tomorrow. Let's go."

Louis gripped onto Charlie's forearm, allowing him to lead him through the dense crowds, and Louis gave a look back to his two friends before disappearing through the doors with Charlie. It was quieter outside, so now Louis could hear his ears ringing from the intense music inside. He could feel Charlie looking at him as they began to walk through the moderately cold air.

"What?" Louis smiled. Why was he leaving with this stranger? He could be absolutely anyone. He could be a kille- or, wait. That was all too familiar. 

"So... are we going to fuck?" Charlie blurted out. Louis raised an eyebrow at him.

"Very open invitation."

"Well, I assumed that was the plan, considering how quickly we left." Charlie grinned. Louis didn't want to have sex with Charlie.

"We'll see what happens?" He suggested. Charlie took it gratefully.

"Are you looking for something serious at the moment?" He continued the questions. Louis shrugged and thought about Harry.

"I have no idea. I guess I'm just waiting to see what comes about, y'know?"

Charlie hummed in thought and nodded, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Well, I think I like you, Louis, from what I know about you."

"What _do_ you know about me?" He chuckled.

"Well, you're gorgeous." He offered. "And you're sweet. Seem funny too."

"Fair enough, fair enough."

There was then a heavy silence. Louis wished he could undo saying he would leave with Charlie, wishing he had at least left it another hour longer. He couldn't work out Charlie's intentions, but he did seem very nice and open.

They reached a small, slightly grotty looking house at the end of a nearby cul-de-sac. Charlie dug in his pocket for a key, which he opened up the squeaky door with and welcomed Louis inside. It wasn't hugely clean or tidy inside, shoes scattered about the hallway and bits and pieces lying about in the living room. Louis didn't want to judge too easily. Harry's house was definitely a lot cleaner and tidier; more shiny and modern.

Louis' phone buzzed again, and luckily Charlie was busy gathering up several sheets of paper on the dining table to notice if Louis quickly checked it. There was one text from his mum, and inevitably one from Harry.

To Louis - From Mum: Are you going to be home late? xxx

To Louis - From Harry: Answer me Louis.

Louis only replied to his mum.

To Mum - From Louis: Will try not to be. Might stay at Niall's anyway xxx

He locked his phone and put it away just as Charlie's attention turned back to him.

"More drinks?" He offered. Louis nodded. "Okay, I'll grab us one. Just take a seat on the sofa, make yourself comfortable."

Charlie wandered over to the kitchen, as Louis awkwardly perched himself on the sofa (which had an uncomfortable spring poking through its cushion into his thigh.)

"Vodka okay?"

A bit strong. Louis had already taken two vodka shots. But anyway, he was almost 18, he might as well.

"Yeah, go on."

Charlie returned, a full bottle of vodka and two glasses in hand, and set them on the glass coffee table in front of the sofa. He poured about half a glass for each of them, sitting close to Louis and handing him one.

"Should we down them?" Charlie grinned, a challenging look in his eye.

"Go on." What was Louis doing?

"Cheers." They clicked glasses before downing the strong liquid in one. It was far worse than the shots, and about three times as much as one shot, and Louis found himself coughing into his hand at the impact.

"You handle that quite well," Charlie complimented. "Wanna try again?"

Louis' head was spinning. He knew that too much vodka was bad but he agreed anyway. They downed another glass each.

"That's more like it." Charlie already had a slur in his tone. "You're fun. I like you. Let's do another."

"I don't know, my head is hurting," Louis protested, although a slight hint of amusement tinted his tone.

"Come on, just one more." Charlie urged. Louis felt a warmth in the pit of his stomach as the dull hue of drunkenness began taking over. They ended up taking three-more shots of vodka, and by the time twenty minutes had passed, Louis had never felt more numb and tipsy.

Everything became a blur.

He had no idea what happened next, sure this would be even more of the case in the morning.

* * *

Louis shot awake. His head was throbbing with pain, and he sat in an upward position when he realised that this wasn't his bed. It was light outside, and it stung his eyes. The room he was in was small, not Harry's room, and had clothes and other items messily kicked into the corners.

There was nobody in the bed beside him. He quickly got up, eyes widening to realise that he was completely naked. He hurried into his clothes from the night before, a pain deep in his head, somewhere behind the eyes, almost blindingly bad. He made sure his phone was in his pocket before making his way out of the room, onto a dirty-looking landing with more clothes in messy piles near where the stairs began. His bum hurt as he descended the stairs; had he let Charlie fuck him? Probably. He was astoundingly drunk.

He found Charlie in the living room, with a large cup of water and some aspirin.

"Want some? I bet your head's killing." He greeted Louis, who was awkwardly scratching his arm.

"I... thank you." Louis gratefully took the pack and popped two pills before taking the cup of water Charlie offered. He swallowed the pills as Charlie watched with a fond smile.

"We had sex, Louis." 

Louis choked slightly on the water, hating how socially awkward he always had to be, before returning the glass and aspirin to the table.

"Oh, okay."

"I can tell you don't usually drink. It's always hazy when you're not an experienced drinker. I remember it _all._ " Charlie bit into his bottom lip. "Absolutely incredible."

Louis raised his eyebrows awkwardly and nodded in response, ankles crossed over each other as he stood.

"Except you called me Harry, or something, while you came. You were too drunk to even remember my name." Charlie laughed. Oh, oh _God._ Louis' eyes widened.

"Oh, I apologise." He nervously laughed. "I don't even know any Harrys."

"It's what alcohol does to us, my friend. Anyway, are you off now?"

Yes. Louis wanted to leave. He couldn't believe he had blurted out Harry's name during an orgasm; it was such a typical movie situation that he never thought would actually happen to him.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay, well... could I grab your number?"

"07..." Louis began, not even giving Charlie a chance. He quickly got out his phone from his pocket, typing down Louis' number as he read out the remaining nine numbers.

"Thank you, gorgeous. I'll text you, okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you, Charlie. I'll see you around." Louis smiled, before leaving that house as quickly as possible.

It wasn't that Charlie was a bad person, he was pretty nice, and Louis probably would talk to him over text, but he was just very embarrassed. He had absolutely no recollection of last night, except the pain in his bum. It wasn't as intense as the pain from when Harry fucked him, but it was there. He must have been an absolute _mess_ last night. How did he manage to say Harry's name? God, that was embarrassing.

The moment Louis got home and ran up to his room, he checked his Facebook. Niall had tagged him in a post.

 **Niall Horan:** _Trust **Louis Tomlinson** to leave with a guy an hour into the club sesh #smashed_

"Fuck, Niall!" He exclaimed. Harry was bound to have seen that, Louis was tagged. This was all beginning to backfire; Louis had only intended to make Harry jealous by being in the nightclub...

Then it struck him. The tracking microchip had been in his pocket at Charlie's house. Harry was going to, not only see that Louis was in fact at a new address, but _know_ said address. This couldn't be good.

He decided he would text Harry, as bad as it could be now. He regretted all of this so much.

To Harry - From Louis: Hi sorry for not replying last night

The reply was almost instant, as usual.

To Louis - From Harry: Fuck off Louis. I'm not just here for you to talk to whenever you're bored. Leave me the fuck alone.

Woah... okay.

He had no idea how to respond to that. Harry's evident fury was always impossible to comprehend a response to. He decided to be blunt.

To Harry - From Louis: Woah, sorry :/ Jeez.

It was probably one of the worst ideas, provoking an argument, but he was sick of this. How was it okay for Harry to talk about heading off to fuck women, yet Louis couldn't even step close to those boundaries? It was ridiculous. He and Harry weren't even together.

To Louis - From Harry: Don't be fucking moody with me Louis, seriously. I'll teach you to regret last night, believe me.

Okay, that sounded dangerous. Louis hated himself for having done what he did now; Harry wasn't to be messed with. He should have seen the inevitability in this: Harry getting angry and threatening once again. Louis couldn't just end the conversation there.

To Harry - From Louis: Oh, will you? Well, it's your fault for fucking tracking my every location. Maybe if you weren't so obsessive, you wouldn't have had to deal with the fucking heartbreak of knowing I spent last night with somebody else.

It was out there now, no taking it back. It had to be said; Louis was so sick of Harry ending their text conversations with another threat. It was growing sickening. Why did he keep giving Harry so many fucking chances?

To Louis - From Harry: I did that because I want you to be safe Louis. I care about you.

Yeah, right. It was such a petty lie - where would Louis be going that would be particularly dangerous? Harry was simply an envious and spiteful individual who wanted to trace Louis' life 24/7.

To Harry - From Louis: No, it's because you're a stalker Harry. You are. I'm sorry for having a fucking life and wanting to be with different people instead of being stuck with you all the time.

To Louis - From Harry: Okay.

Okay?

To Harry - From Louis: It's not, is it?

To Louis - From Harry: No. Bye bye .xx

Bye fucking bye.

* * *

To Louis - From Unknown Number: Hi louis its charlie, how are you doin??

Louis smiled as he opened the text, quickly saving Charlie's number. He was glad Charlie had popped up now, as he was so bored and needed something to do.

To Charlie - From Louis: Hi Charlie, I'm doing great thanks. Thanks again for the other night, I feel like I was a bit awkward afterwards and I apologise for that. I'm sure I enjoyed it, despite how intensely drunk I was ! Haha

He still remembered nothing whatsoever. The furthest point he remembered up to was Charlie handing him the first glass of vodka.

To Louis - From Charlie: You sure seemed to be ;)

Wow, okay.

To Charlie - From Louis: I'll take your word for it !!

Why had Charlie come into his life so quickly? And why did they sleep together? Was it Louis' way of getting back at Harry, under the surface?

He knew how mad Harry was, it radiated from the texts he had sent earlier: _I'll teach you to regret last night, believe me._ What was he planning on doing exactly? He would never hurt Louis, ever.

* * *

Louis received an apologetic text from Harry later that evening. It didn't make him sound heavily sorry, but almost like he was forcing himself to put it. He probably remembered how much he was pushing it again, this time particularly far, after all of the recent events.

To Louis - From Harry: Sorry Louis. I am being unnecessarily jealous.

Still, no kisses. That was how Louis knew that Harry really was still mad.

To Harry - From Louis: Okay. Thanks for trying to apologise.

To Louis - From Harry: What do you want for your birthday? .xx

There it was: Louis knew Harry would be aware of when it was. He found himself smiling at that.

To Harry - From Louis: You don't have to get me anything Harry

To Louis - From Harry: Of course I do, it feels like I've known you forever now. What do you want? .xx

Louis chuckled lightly to himself. Trust Harry to still want to buy him something, despite what happened just last night.

To Harry - From Louis: I want you to save your money Harry

Harry was living alone at 18 - he needed all of his money. Louis didn't want him flogging any on some expensive gift for him, he would just feel bad. He shouldn't have been in contact with Harry at all, let alone accepting presents from him and continuing to text him.

To Louis - From Harry: I'll get you something, don't you worry .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Then I will get you a Christmas present.

He probably would have ended up buying Harry one anyway, he would feel so terribly guilty if he didn't.

To Louis - From Harry: Would be a change getting something .xx

Oh. Louis felt his stomach drop in hurt. Poor Harry.

To Harry - From Louis: I've got to go now. Bye Harry.

To Louis - From Harry: I won't forget about where you were last night. Bye Louis .xx

Louis should have been scared, but he just wasn't. Harry was just creating a threat... he couldn't be serious. He wanted to scare Louis again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you don't like Louis with another guy! It's just gotta happen for the story xx
> 
> Sorry if there were any errors.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May contain typos -- sorry x

Louis was still waiting for the inevitable questioning from his friends and about what happened after he and Charlie had left the club. The three of them - Louis, Liam and Niall - were sat on the latter's bedroom carpet, boredom having sparked them and left them with nothing to do. It seemed that maybe today, for once, Louis' friends were going to let him keep his private life _private,_ instead of relentlessly questioning him in order to withdraw the gossip.

"It's literally the third day of the Christmas break, and we are already bored shitless." Liam spoke first, filling the comfortable silence. And he was right, it was Sunday, Friday having been the day they were released from their prison of a school, and all they could think to do was sit on Niall's bedroom floor doing absolutely nothing at all.

"Anything you guys want for Christmas?" Louis continued the bland conversation anyway. "Seeing as it's six days away."

He knew that soon he would have to give in and start doing his Christmas shopping. It was - simply put - one of the most torturous things he could think of doing: he barely had any money as it was, let alone enough to set out to specifically buy every loved one a gift. He didn't want to class himself as a selfish person... but maybe he was.

"Get me a girlfriend." Liam joked, chuckling to himself. "I don't know, man, just get me anything."

"Helpful." Louis sarcastically muttered. "Niall? Any ideas?"

"Lou, your birthday is in _five_ days, what do you want for that? Maybe me and Liam could get you that restraining order sorted for Harry, does that sound like a good present?"

"Hilarious," Louis rolled his eyes. "But stop talking about that now. I'm not filing one."

Niall let out a long groan of displeasure. "Really? You've turned crazy, Louis, you keep changing your mind. But it seems as though you never take our advice."

"I think it's because you still love him." Liam accused, lying back on his elbows. "Don't you?"

"It's none of your business." Louis grumbled, angrily pulling out his laptop from his bag and setting it on his lap as a distraction, staring at the screen to avoid meeting their eyes.

"We won't _judge_ you, you know?" Liam pushed. "If you do. I mean, you did get pretty _close_ to him."

"Have we not already gone through this billions of times? I know he's always been absolutely awful, but I'm not going to do something as drastic as filing a fucking restraining order." Louis ranted. "And anyway, Harry is lonely. I can't leave him with no one."

"He's got a couple of mates," Niall pointed out, clearly not thinking about the fact that they couldn't always be by Harry's side. "It's not like you're all he has."

Louis shrugged in response, fingers gliding over the keys of his keyboard in thought. "Well, it's almost Christmas and his friends won't be spending that with him, they've got their own families to be with."

"So... you're saying you're going to spend Christmas day with Harry?"

Louis realised that he had put it that way. Was he really thinking that in the back of his mind? Of course not. He couldn't just leave his family on Christmas day to spend the day with the guy who put Mark in hospital; it was ridiculous. Louis shrugged once again, childishly, clicking onto his Facebook to distract himself again.

" _God._ When was the last time you saw him, Louis?"

Not since the assault Harry had inflicted on Mark. It had been two weeks since then, maybe more, Louis had lost count. All he knew was that lately he had been distant from Harry. He didn't like it too much.

"Two weeks, just about."

"Then he can live with being away from you for that long. Christmas is a week away, he can survive that, right?"

"Liam, stop being so insensitive. Can you imagine spending that day on your own?" Louis proclaimed, finally taking his gaze off the screen and shutting the lid of his laptop. "We'll be waking up in a house with our families, happy, and Harry will be waking up alone."

Liam looked down, away from Louis. He left a small silence.

"Maybe you should go and see Harry now."

Louis deeply inhaled. Should he give up now and see Harry again? He really missed him. _Really._

"I don't know." He shrugged. "He probably saw that status Niall put up about me leaving with that Charlie guy."

"Oh shit, I didn't think of that, sorry." Niall apologised, biting his lower lip. "Maybe he's forgotten about it. He would probably appreciate you seeing him today."

"I know he would. I promised my parents I'd stopped talking to him yet I've been texting him since the thing happened." Louis confessed, overcome with guilt. "Does that make me a bad person? He really scared my whole family and almost killed my dad. Plus he's threatened you guys."

"You can be like Romeo and Juliet. Harr-eo and Lou-liet." Niall snickered.

"Never talk to me again," Louis lightly laughed to himself. "Harr-eo and Lou-liet, Niall, _really?_ "

"You get where I'm coming from." Niall smirked, getting to his feet to grab his own laptop from his desk. He perched on the edge of his bed, opening the lid so the light from it fanned onto his face. "I'll arrange your meetup with Mr Styles, don't worry."

"Niall, what do you mean?" Louis whined in protest, yet too lazy to get up and actually go over to Niall to see what he was doing.

"I'll arrange a meetup for the both of you. I can see how much you miss him." Niall sang, typing away at his keyboard.

"That's a stupid idea." Liam remarked, resting his head back against the wall, playing with a rubix cube he had found in amongst the piles of rubbish on Niall's bedroom floor. "Plus, he probably still wants to kill you."

Maybe Harry did.

"So? He won't wanna kill me anymore if I arrange for him to see Lou." Niall's logic. He continued to type, before dramatically hitting the send button with a grin on his face.

"Wait, did you actually do it?" Louis cocked an eyebrow, with some disbelief that Niall actually would have.

"See for yourself." Niall smiled, passing his laptop over to Louis.

 **Niall Horan:** _Hi harry, lou would really like to see you but he is too shy to ask (bless him). Would this evening be ok for you?_

"Too shy to ask?" Louis stifled a laugh, while Liam too read over the message.

"You kind of are, mate." Niall smiled. "Couldn't make your mind up, could you?"

"You made it sound a bit like you're mocking Harry." Liam added, passing the device back to Niall. "The way you mentioned Louis being shy. I dunno, maybe that's just how I view it."

Maybe Liam was right. Louis hoped not.

"Well, he's read it and is typing." Niall noted, eyes trained on the screen. "So I hope it wasn't taken the wrong way."

"Keep us updated, Niall." Louis nonchalantly said, stretching his arms out above him and yawning. "This is about the best entertainment we'll get today."

"He said: 'why doesn't Louis go and hang out with the guy he left the club with on Friday?' Damn, he hasn't forgotten about that."

Louis rolled his eyes, however he felt a bit bad that it still stuck with Harry, despite the two of them having spoken about other things since then. "Tell him to get over himself."

"I am definitely _not_ telling him that." Niall shook his head. "Unless I want a punch."

"Tell him that and say it's from Louis." Louis added, smirking over at Niall.

"Fine," Niall retorted, typing the message out to Harry.

 **Niall Horan:** _Get over yourself (that's from Louis, sorry)_

Louis really regretted having slept with Charlie. It wasn't like he even had to, he could have simply ignored the stares from him across the club and enjoyed being there with Niall and Liam instead.

"Louis, can you please take over? Because I'm pretty sure Harry wants to kill me through my laptop." Niall stressed, once again handing the laptop Louis' way. Louis sighed and took it, reading over Harry's most recent reply.

 **Harry Styles:** _Niall, do me a favour and shut the fuck up_

Louis began laughing to himself at Harry's reply, so Niall told him to shut up. He typed a quick message back to Harry, still through Niall's account.

 **Niall Horan:** _Hello Harry, this is Louis. Be nicer to my friends ! I do want to see you. Soon. Okay?_

He pressed send. Harry read it immediately, then began typing after a moment.

 **Harry Styles:** _Do you now._

"He's so annoying." Louis rolled his eyes.

 **Niall Horan:** _Yes Harry. When can we meet?_

"What's he saying?" Liam nosily asked, trying to get a look.

"None of your business."

"They're probably talking dirty on your account, Ni."

"Sh'up."

 **Harry Styles:** _Riiiiiight nooooow .xx_

 **Niall Horan:** _Wait really_

"Right now is a bit too soon, isn't it?" He asked his friends. "That's what he said. Not sure if he was joking or not."

"Go on, run off to your Harr-eo!" Liam grinned.

"I will strangle the two of you." Louis groaned.

"If Harry doesn't get to us first." Niall chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll leave now." Louis rolled his eyes again. He quickly checked the messages again.

 **Harry Styles:** _Yes. Come over to mine .xx_

"I'll see you guys another time. Have fun being bored." Louis sent Harry a thumbs up emoji before closing the conversation and returning Niall's laptop to him.

"Be careful, Louis. Again." Liam maturely said. "Don't let him patronise you about the guy from the club."

"I know Harry well enough now, don't worry. Bye." Louis sent them both a wave, earning a goodbye from each of them before leaving Niall's house and getting into his car, which was parked outside Niall's house.

Wait, what was Louis doing? He was once again making a stupid, spontaneous decision. As always. The last time he saw Harry was when he had hurt Mark.

He started his car.

And Mark had to go to hospital for head trauma.

He began the journey to Harry's place.

He missed Harry's green eyes, iridescent and enticing. Yeah, he needed to look into those again. Harry's whole face, actually, he missed all of it.

But he did grow nervous as he was pulling into a parking spot, right by Harry's car. Two weeks of not seeing Harry was a long time for him, what if the conversation for some reason didn't flow? What if Harry was in some bad mood that Louis didn't know about?

He pulled himself together and got out the car, approaching the building. He pressed 128 on the buzzer, Harry's apartment number, and his heart was pounding as he waited for Harry's response.

"Hello?" Harry's voice sounded reasonably bright, from what Louis could tell from one word.

"It's Louis."

"Come in."

And moment later, the door buzzed, allowing Louis to swing it open. He jogged up the stairs, knowing that route now like the back of his hand, wondering once again why he was going against his parents' word and actually going to Harry's place.

He reached the door, steadily knocking three times. He wanted to turn around and run then, knowing there was no way out of it now, but he internally told himself to shut up and stayed put. Harry opened the door a few moments later.

His beauty just radiated. He simply wore faded black skinny jeans and a plain grey t-shirt, hair slightly messy.

"Well, hello there." Harry smirked, drinking in the sight of Louis. "Come in. Sorry about the state of my hair, I haven't showered today yet."

"It looks fine." It did.

Louis smiled, quite timidly, at Harry and took the invitation to enter his apartment. Harry shut the door behind them, as Louis slid off his shoes and hung up his denim jacket on the coat pegs. He followed Harry into the living room, sitting on the sofa while Harry tidied up a few sheets of paper that were scattered over his dining room table, stacking them together before sliding them onto a shelf.

Louis drew his feet up onto the sofa, crossing his legs as he watched Harry quickly tidying up.

"I don't care if there's stuff everywhere." He chuckled, patting the sofa. "Come and sit with me."

"I need a shower."

"Harry, I've just got here! Come and sit with me, please?"

Harry deeply sighed and complied, sitting by Louis on the sofa with a seemingly formed smile.

"What? What's wrong?" Louis questioned. He was expecting Harry to bring up the incident with Charlie, but he didn't. He brought up the opposite.

"Do you hate me?" Harry was awkwardly scratching his arm, more from nerves than to itch it, meeting Louis' eyes.

"No," Louis shrugged. "I probably _should,_ but I don't. I really missed you." He placed a hand on Harry's forearm, letting his thumb stroke over the soft skin. Harry smiled lightly and watched where Louis' hand was as he spoke next.

"I can't believe you keep giving me these chances."

Louis withdrew his hand finally, placing it in his lap as he looked slightly to the left of Harry.

"It's because you mean a lot to me."

Harry nodded, but with no smile. "I'm going to have a quick shower. Have you eaten?"

Louis shook his head.

"I think I have pizza in the freezer, you can cook one if you want. I won't be long."

Louis really wanted to loudly sigh and tell Harry to stay and shower later, but there was no point. He just told Harry okay and watched him wander off into his room. So Louis went to the kitchen. He felt so comfortable and at home whenever he went to Harry's house, it was like his second home almost. He entered the kitchen and did as Harry had said, putting a frozen pizza into the oven and setting the timer.

Leaning back on the kitchen counter, he drew in a deep, unshakeable breath. The soothing sound of the shower running from the bathroom could be heard, and he was feeling quite glad that Harry was showering now as it gave him a moment to just be still in his house and think.

Harry's kitchen was tidy, with glossy white tiles halfway up the walls and light grey paint to the ceiling. Everything was lined up neatly, as though nothing could be out of place, and it was almost completely perfect. It was sad, thinking about it, that Harry was home alone so often that he had time to make sure everything was in place.

Louis' eyes wandered around the room, while his fingers glided over the smooth worktop of the kitchen counters, and his eyes stopped when they came across a mark on the wall, which was barely visible, near the section where one wall met the other. It was two tally marks; two deliberate lines drawn in permanent marker.

And obviously, Louis' mind immediately correlated those two marks to the two killings Harry had made. He hoped it was paranoia, although it wasn't like Harry hadn't confessed to him what he had done.

He decided to leave it, heading into the living room once again and switching on the TV. He began watching Family Guy while he waited for Harry. Soon enough, he heard the water stop, just a few drops to indicate that it had been turned off, and after another five minutes, Harry came into the living room. He had changed into slim-fit grey jogging bottoms and a plain white t-shirt, hair towel-dried so it was slicked back at the fringe.

"You alright?" He greeted causally, sitting himself next to Louis again. "Did you put food on? You need to eat if you haven't already."

"Yeah, yeah, it's in the oven." Louis smiled slightly, eyes remaining on the TV. Harry reached over Louis (so Louis got an enticing fresh smell from him) grabbing the remote from the arm of the sofa and switching the TV off altogether.

"That's fine, I wasn't watching that or anything." Louis smirked, voice laced with sarcasm.

"I want your attention." Harry protested, setting the remote onto the coffee table. "How are you doing?"

Louis pouted his mouth to the side. "I'm okay."

"Has something bothered you?" Harry worried, eyebrows furrowing. He could read Louis so well.

"No, why?" Louis lied. He really wanted to ask about the tally on the wall, because from what he knew, tally marks were there so they could be carried on forever and counted.

"Because you stare into space more when something is up. What is it?" Harry pushed. "I don't want another argument."

"I just wanted to know about the tally marks on your kitchen wall, the two lines. It might mean nothing, it's just-"

"They mean exactly what you're thinking, Louis." Harry sighed, itching the back of his neck. "I don't mind you asking about them."

"Why are they there?"

"Because I was fed up of keeping it in my mind. It felt like physically having them there, somewhere out of my head, was a weight off my shoulders. They've been there since the day I got this place." Harry explained, looking down at his hands, which he held in his lap. "That's why they're there."

Louis slowly nodded to himself. "So... they're almost a confession of the murders?"

Harry shut his eyes for a moment, before the expression of reflection changed to one of forced happiness.

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's shift the topic, yeah? I just don't like talking about it. As long as you know now, though, you don't have to wonder anymore."

Louis reciprocated the smile and nodded, mind racing to find a new topic. He remembered what he had spoken about with Niall and Liam, deciding he would bring that up.

"So... six days until Christmas." He attempted a smile, seeing that Harry's was even more fake than his.

"Best time of the year, huh?" There was evident sarcasm behind Harry's tone. Louis looked between both of Harry's eyes.

"Who are you spending Christmas with, Harry?"

Harry let out an exhale of a laugh through his nose, lacking any humour, looking away from Louis again.

"Nobody."

Louis felt the sheer definition of heartbreak within himself then.

"How can you be expected to be alone then? That's awful, Harry." Louis frowned. "You can't just be on your own."

"I managed it last year."

Louis deeply sighed. Harry had been completely on his own for too long, it was painful. He didn't deserve it; he could be a really decent person, that's what Louis knew. He wasn't all bad.

"Well, you're not spending this Christmas on your own."

Harry looked up at Louis, a slight hopefulness in his eyes, but he didn't say anything in response, instead waiting for Louis to continue.

"I want to spend it with you, Harry. Here. Just you and me, all day, here."

What the hell was Louis doing?! He as effectively promising Harry that he would ditch his family and spend the day with the boy who was a threat. He couldn't say no to Harry, though, he simply couldn't.

"You're... you're kidding?" Harry figured, careful not to show too much happiness yet, just in case he was being messed with.

"Of course I'm not," Louis dug himself in deeper, "How's this. I spend my birthday, Christmas eve, with my family. Christmas day I spend with you."

Harry's response was to immediately lean forwards and lock Louis in a tight hug. Louis felt like crying at that point, the sheer thankfulness from Harry, who was too shocked to even say anything; somebody wanted to spend Christmas with him. Louis rubbed Harry's back and buried his face into his neck, basking in the warmth and the fresh, alluring scent from Harry's skin.

"Thank you." Harry murmured into Louis' shoulder. "Seriously, I can't believe it."

Louis happily chuckled, as he and Harry finally pulled away from one another, Harry's smile bright, reaching each corner of his face. Louis adored the expression.

"That's okay, Harry."

Louis' phone buzzed in his pocket. He quickly got it out, expecting it to be his mum, but it wasn't.

To Louis - From Charlie: Hi louis, wanna meet up some time? xxx

Louis' eyes flicked up to see Harry watching him closely, interrogating him with his eyes.

"Is that Charlie?" He inquired, voice suddenly stern. How did Harry know Charlie's name?

"No... it's my mum." Louis lied. He knew that if he asked how Harry knew Charlie's name, he would start getting questioned about the night in general.

"What did your mum say?"

"That I have to be home by seven." Louis lied again. Harry looked the sheer opposite of convinced.

Louis was relieved to hear the oven's timer chiming in the kitchen then, cutting the conversation short.

How did Harry know Charlie's name? Louis had no clue; he dreaded any form of answer.


	44. Chapter 44

Louis was picking at the crusts from the pizza he had just eaten, feeling ultimately sick to his stomach having eaten so much. Harry had claimed he wasn't hungry and didn't want any of it, meaning Louis had crammed as much of it into his body as he could so as not to waste any. 

They were sat in silence, watching an old episode of 'You've Been Framed', but the silence wasn't massively awkward -- only slightly. Louis liked sitting with Harry and doing something as casual as watching evening television.

"Well, it's half past six," Harry declared, after checking the the television. "Your mum said you have to be back by seven. Can't stay too much longer. Right?"

Louis regretted having lied about that now, he wanted to stay with Harry. He looked over at Harry, who was sat the far end of the sofa, almost distantly, eyes fixed on him. He knew Louis was lying, he could just _sense_ it. He knew Louis hadn't received that text from his mum.

"Yeah, she did. But I could ask her if I could stay out longer." He piped, voice coming out small. They both knew that it was a lie, yet it remained unspoken. Harry nodded slowly, then plastered a smile onto his face, so suddenly that it was clearly forced.

"Okay, ask her." He played along, picking up the plate from Louis' lap, figuring he was done pointlessly picking at the pizza crusts. "While you do, I'll take this out. Let's hope your mum replies quickly, huh?"

Louis rolled his eyes once Harry had wandered out into the kitchen, half expecting Harry to somehow see it. He used the time as an opportunity to quickly reply to Charlie (who he was intensely worrying about, trying to remain calm on the inside.)

To Charlie - From Louis: Hi, can we organise this at a better time? Thanks !!

He quickly put his phone away, just in time for Harry to be strolling back in, doing it suspiciously despite having been 'texting his mum'.

"What did mummy say?" Harry sang, rather humourlessly, switching the television off altogether with the remote.

"That she doesn't care how long I'm out." Louis hated lying to Harry. They both knew it. Harry nodded, running a hand through his hair, leaning on one leg casually as he looked at Louis.

"Okay."

"Okay." Louis repeated. Harry was staring squarely at him, no hint of thought in that stare, no depth that expressed to Louis what was on his mind. He deeply sighed.

"Wanna help me train? I was gonna do it anyway tonight, it's better having somebody to help."

"What, boxing?" Louis stupidly asked. Harry smirked at the response.

"Obviously."

Louis got to his feet, locking his hands together behind his back. "Well... do I have to fight you?"

Harry burst out laughing at that, crinkles indented by his shining eyes, teeth on display. "No, Louis. Just hold the focus pads for me."

"Umm... okay?"

"You sound unsure," Harry speculated. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'll teach you how to hold then properly so you don't get hurt."

Harry disappeared for a moment, inside the cupboard at the left of the television - which Louis had always wanted to know the contents of. He appeared moments later with a pair of focus pads and a pair of small boxing gloves. Louis didn't know if he liked the look of this.

"Hold your hands out." He instructed, holding the gloves between his knees while he concentrated on sliding the focus pads onto Louis' hands. Louis watched Harry as he did it, smiling slightly to himself, and Harry grabbed the gloves once Louis had the focus pads strapped on.

Harry put the gloves on, using his teeth to do up the velcro straps at the wrists. "I've just showered too, probably not the best time to be boxing."

"Probably not," Louis smiled crookedly. "But you seem to enjoy it."

"Hold them out, straight, in front of you at about chest height. Bend your elbows slightly, tucked in against your ribs." Harry commanded. Louis did as Harry said, holding out the focus pads in this way. "Okay, I'm going to demonstrate to you what happens when you don't learn to make the _pads_ take the impact."

Without any warning, Harry powerfully hooked at the left pad Louis held, causing Louis to gasp and stumble back. He was wide-eyed at how sudden and strong it was.

"What was that for?" He chuckled, a breathily surprised laugh, and Harry just smirked and held Louis' wrists to position his hands to their previous position.

"Now, that won't happen again, because I'm going to teach you how to receive a strike." Harry sounded professional. Honestly, it turned Louis on. "As soon as my fist hits the pad, you need to push against it. It has to be exact timing."

"Really?" Louis cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes. Stand strong, one leg in front of the other, stable."

Louis moved his right foot back, tightening his core muscles. Harry nodded.

"Okay, ready to try it?"

"No," Louis laughed. "Yes, go on. Do it."

"Remember, the moment my fist touches the pad, push slightly against it."

Louis nodded, feeling his heart racing. It was ridiculous how scared he was of just this; he dreaded to think how Harry's former opponents must have felt while in the ring with him.

Louis held the pads steady, ready. And the moment Harry's hand struck that pad, he pushed against it, finding that the impact was absorbed almost entirely by it, preventing him from stumbling backwards again.

"Good, really good," Harry praised, "Again, ready?"

Louis exhaled and nodded, readying himself once again. He successfully took the punch again, then another, another. Harry showcased such strength that it was staggering, yet each hit was precise, meticulous.

"You're really good at holding them," Harry commended once again. "Maybe you can be my out-of-arena trainer, huh?"

Louis laughed, taking another punch to the focus pads. Although he shouldn't have been, he was greatly turned on by how strong Harry was, how he panted slightly while delivering the blows.

"Come on, Harry," Louis chanted, smiling to himself. "Harder." He whispered.

He saw a glint in Harry's eye, a smirk he was trying to hold back as he continued hitting the pads. Harry was ultimately beating the shit out of them, and Louis couldn't help but jolt slightly each time, every new hit surprising him again and again.

"Faster." Louis whispered again.

Harry delivered the strikes harder and faster, panting heavier, face full of concentration. Louis couldn't handle it anymore.

"I need a wee."

Harry stopped suddenly, laughing breathlessly to himself. His chest heaved, shaking off the gloves so they fell to the floor, placing his hands on the pads to pull them from Louis' hands.

"Go and wee then."

Louis grinned humorously, heading into Harry's bedroom, through it and to the bathroom. He locked the door behind him, immediately pulling out his phone.

To Louis - From Charlie: why? everything ok yeah??

To Charlie - From Louis: Yeah everything is fine. We will meet up at some point in the near future !!

He returned his phone to his pocket. He didn't really need the toilet, he was just overwrought with arousal and couldn't end up fucking Harry again. Sure, he still wanted to see him, but he couldn't just jump into bed with him. Harry had to stop being so damn seductive all the time.

He flushed the toilet, just to be convincing, and momentarily ran the tap before switching it off and leaving the bathroom. Harry was sat in the middle of his bed, laptop in his lap, screen facing away from Louis. He was softly smiling to himself.

"What are you smiling about?" He wondered, perching himself on the edge of Harry's bed. Harry lightly shook his head, smile remaining.

"No, it's nothing."

"It's obviously _something._ " Louis smiled too, purely seeing Harry smiling so sweetly.

"I was just..." Harry swallowed thickly. "I was just on my mum's Facebook. I check it occasionally, just nice to see how they're doing. How they look now."

Louis' smile transformed into a sad one, sighing. "That's understandable."

Harry softly shut the lid of his laptop, mouth pouting to the side, gently placing it on his bedside table.

"How long has it been since you saw them?" Louis chose to ask, knowing full well it may have been pushing it. He knew Harry well enough to ask personal questions now, definitely.

"Two years. Almost three, maybe." Harry shrugged, a dazed smile on his face. "Nothing I can do about it, though. I just like to know they're _okay._ " His voice suddenly cracked on the final word, face falling as tears started, which he had evidently been trying to suppress. Louis was quickly crawling over the bed to Harry's side, encasing him in a hug.

"Hey, don't cry," He soothed, rubbing Harry's back. "I hate it. I want you happy."

" _I_ want me happy," Harry lightly sobbed, "I miss being happy."

Louis buried his face into Harry's neck, inhaling the sweet, slightly sweaty scent from the recent boxing practice. He left a light kiss there, looking Harry in the eye.

"You'll be happy again one day," He pacted, smiling. "I promise."

Harry nodded, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands. "Okay."

Louis released Harry from the hug, sitting beside him on the bed, cross-legged. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you make us hot chocolate?"

Louis chuckled at how adorable Harry's answer was. He nodded. "Of course. You stay here, I'll be back."

He left the bedroom, releasing the deep breath he had been holding in, through the living room and into the kitchen. While the kettle was boiling, Louis was lost in his thoughts.

Harry really missed his mother and sister. He clearly carried a lot of pain with him, a lot of regret. He had managed two, almost three, years without them, but it was probably driving him absolutely insane. But Louis recalled Harry mentioning how his family didn't want to see him again.

Louis scooped the hot chocolate powder into two mugs, still deep in thought.

What if he could somehow contact Harry's mother?

He poured the water into each mug, before stirring them thoroughly with a teaspoon from the cutlery drawer.

And convince her and Gemma to see Harry again? It was a long shot, considering what Harry had done.

Louis carried the cups through to Harry's room, handing one to him and returning to his side on the bed.

"Thank you, you're an angel." Harry smiled, setting the too-hot-to-drink-yet beverage down onto his bedside table. "Are you staying the night?"

"If you want me to." Louis shrugged, nimbly sipping at his hot chocolate.

"Yeah," Harry grinned. "Pretty please?"

"No problem." Louis placed his drink down on the other bedside table, leaning against the headboard of the bed.

* * *

They had finished their drinks, an hour later, still sat on Harry's bed. They had been making small talk, comfortable conversation, and Louis felt completely at ease. He didn't care what Harry did or almost did to Mark, or to Liam, or the verbal threats he had made in the past; he was comfortable. It was eight o'clock when Harry finally stood up to take the mugs back out to the kitchen. Louis quickly got out his phone again.

To Louis - From Charlie: good to hear. You are fun to be around. Can't believe a guy like you is single.

Hmm.

To Charlie - From Louis: Well, I guess I'm just looking for the right person.

He had already found the right person. Charlie replied instantly, and Louis rolled onto his stomach on Harry's bed.

To Louis - From Charlie: Could that be me? ;)

Louis lightly smiled to himself, beginning to type back as Harry walked back into the room. He seemed to stop slightly in the doorway, finding Louis smiling at his phone while typing a message to somebody, but he didn't say anything as he proceeded into the room.

To Charlie - From Louis: Idk. Maybe.

He put his phone away, apologising to Harry for being antisocial, as Harry stripped from his t-shirt by his wardrobe.

"No, it's _fine,_ you carry on." Harry bitterly snapped, pulling on a baggier, faded ACDC t-shirt. "Don't let me stop you."

_"Harry,"_

"What?" He hissed, throwing the discarded t-shirt into the laundry basket by his chest of drawers.

"I don't want you in this _mood_ with me."

Harry childishly shrugged, running both hands through his hair. "Not my fault, I'm not the one texting other guys."

Louis' body tensed up, but he didn't say anything. He knew that nothing said could justify himself, so he left it, hugging his knees in front of him and resting his chin on top of them.

"Let's go to sleep." Harry grinned, eerily false. "I'm fucking tired."

Louis took in a long breath, releasing it at the same speed, nodding in agreement. "Fine."

He wanted this day to just be over with, so they could start fresh again. But he was regretting agreeing to sleep over now, knowing that Harry was being moody with him. It made him feel unwelcome. Harry wandered off into the bathroom, mentioning something about brushing his teeth, locking the door behind him. Louis risked checking his phone, knowing Harry would be a few minutes.

To Louis - From Charlie: i hope so. i would like to take you out for dinner, to kinda apologise for fucking you straight away

Louis didn't really want to go for a full-on meal with Charlie, it was a bit formal. But he didn't know how to decline.

To Charlie - From Louis: Sure. I'm actually heading to bed now, speak tomorrow maybe? Night

To Louis - From Charlie: ok. sweet dreams louis, night X

Louis placed his phone on the bedside table, knowing that the remaining 36% of battery would probably have drained by morning. This meant he wouldn't be able to awkwardly go on his phone the next day, if a silence ensued, and he would have to just face Harry. He felt too awkward to ask Harry for a spare toothbrush or clothes to sleep in, so he just removed his jeans and remained in his t-shirt and underwear, knowing he would have to bear the horrible feeling of unbrushed teeth.

Harry left the bathroom after a few minutes, as Louis sat cross-legged atop of the sheets, awkwardly picking at his nail. 

"I'll sleep on the floor." Harry announced.

"No, you don't have to, sleep here with me." Louis protested, patting the bed by his side.

"I'll sleep on the floor." Harry reiterated, sternly. Louis was silenced, wanting so badly to mutter 'wow, sorry', but suppressing it.

Harry opened the airing cupboard, pulling out a thick duvet and throwing it onto the floor at the end of the bed, followed by a thinner blanket and two pillows. He arranged a makeshift bed on the floor, switching on the lamp by the bed before heading to turn off the main light in the room. Louis got into the cold double bed, pulling the blanket up to his chest, inhaling that alluring scent of Harry that lingered on the sheets. Harry got into the very uncomfortable-looking arrangement on the floor, settling down on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

There was a heavy silence. Louis was half sitting up and half lying down, nervously drumming his thumbs on the blanket around him.

"I'm sorry." He apologised into the quiet, his voice distinctly loud. He didn't really know what exactly he was apologising for, but it was most likely for texting Charlie while in Harry's house.

"Did he fuck you, Louis?"

Louis froze, glad Harry couldn't see his expression from where he was lying. His mouth lingered open as he searched for a response, eyes locked on the wall straight ahead. The silence answered Harry's question for him.

"Right." Harry sighed. "I thought so."

"I don't see why it's such a huge deal," Louis interjected, a hint of sass within his tone. "What about you telling me you were off to fuck some woman? And all those statuses on Facebook about it?"

"You really didn't work out that they were lies?" Harry scoffed. "I didn't fuck anybody, Louis."

Oh. Louis felt stupid now, speechless. He said the first thing he could think of.

"Well, you and I technically aren't dating, are we? So why does it matter?"

"Are we not _seeing_ each other, though? What would you call this? You wanted to see me. Why? Because we're besties? Are we best friends, Louis?" Harry taunted. Louis groaned aloud in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, alright? I won't do it again."

"Right, okay." Harry sighed, and Louis could hear him turning over. "Turn the lamp off, will you?"

Louis hurriedly did so, leaving the room in pitch blackness. Louis settled down into the bed, throat thick with close tears. He couldn't stand arguing with Harry, and it had happened too many times to count. He lay awake for what seemed like hours, too afraid too check the time on his phone, not even close to being tired. It was so dark in the room that he couldn't work out whether his eyes were open or closed at some points, and he heard Harry rhythmically breathing from the other side of the room. It was soothing, knowing Harry was there in the dark, but Louis couldn't help but feel lonely in that big bed.

He knew Harry was fast asleep by now. He took some time to reflect on how much Harry meant to him, on such a deep level, and couldn't even see Charlie as being as great as Harry in any way, shape or form. Harry was absolutely everything to him.

"I love you." Louis whispered into the dark, voice coming out harsh in the room which had been silent for so long before. "So much."

The rhythmic breathing from Harry continued, not missing a beat.

"And I'm sorry for what I did to upset you." Louis felt slightly crazy, whispering, effectively to himself, into the darkness. "You mean so much to me, you'll never even know."

He turned onto his side, burying his face into the pillow. "Goodnight, gorgeous." He concluded, smiling to himself. It felt relieving to say those things, despite Harry being fast asleep.

* * *

Louis half expected to find Harry beside him in the bed when morning arrived, yet it still surprised him when he opened his eyes. Harry lay right by his side, body drawn in beside his, heavily asleep and breathing from his nose. Louis wanted to cry, it was so adorable. He hoped this meant their argument last night had been resolved (for now).

He planted a soft kiss on Harry's forehead, but he remained asleep by Louis' side. Louis' phone, as he guessed, was out of battery. He wanted to curse. He glanced over at the bedside table on Harry's side, spotting his laptop. He could probably take that, right?

He carefully, slowly leant over Harry, who was still in a deep sleep, scooping up his laptop and successfully pulling it onto his lap without waking Harry. He opened the lid, glad to see it didn't have a password, and pulled up Google, then Facebook. He logged into his own account, yawning to himself, and did what he had been considering all night.

He typed 'Anne Styles' in the search bar. Obviously, Harry wasn't friends with her on Facebook, so it took some searching to find her account, but her almost identical smile to Harry's gave it away.

He didn't hesitate to open a message to her, spontaneously typing.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Hi. I know that you don't know me, but my name is Louis. I'm very close with your son, Harry. Please keep reading. I know everything that has happened with you, with your former husband, everything. I'm sorry. Harry is falling apart every day because of how much he misses you and his sister, it really hurts to see. He is truly broken. Please respond to this message with anything, just so I know you've seen it, and I can explain myself more. Thank you._

He pressed send, while holding his breath. He checked if Harry was still sleeping. He was.

It took a minute for the message to be accepted by Anne, and read. Louis felt like he couldn't breathe as he waited. Two minutes went by, yet Anne wasn't even typing a response yet. Louis was giving up hope by then, but around five minutes later, a reply came through.

 **Anne Styles:** _We don't want anything to do with Harry._

Louis shut his eyes tightly and exhaled, before typing back. He couldn't quite believe he was speaking with Harry's mum, Harry Styles' mum, but he kept on typing.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Please let me explain. I know how distraught you both must be, Harry is just as scared. But he really needs you, the two of you, right now. Seriously._

 **Anne Styles:** _Is he setting you up to this?_

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _He has no idea I'm asking you. I doubt he would even let me contact you, this is all on me. I have witnessed how distressed he gets when he talks about his family, you'd understand if you knew how close to Harry I have gotten._

 **Anne Styles:** _So what exactly are you suggesting?_

Louis looked over at Harry again, who still slept soundly, eyelashes gracefully resting against his cheeks, chest rising and falling. He smiled to himself watching such beauty.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Harry spent last Christmas completely alone, he had no one the whole day. I've offered to spent this Christmas with him but I know it isn't enough. He needs you and Gemma._

Louis deeply inhaled once again, fingers hovering over the keyboard, watching as Anne began typing again.

 **Anne Styles:** _We haven't seen Harry for three years. Last time we saw him, I was the same height as him and his voice had only just started dropping. Is he all grown up now?_

Louis fondly smiled. He could tell Anne's motherly instinct was starting to come through: she wanted to know who her son was today, who he had become.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Absolutely. About 6 foot 3, deep voice, curly hair. Very handsome young man._

 **Anne Styles:** _Wow, he's grown nice and tall, taller than his father was. I always tried picturing how tall he would be. I can't imagine seeing him again._

Louis knew he was winning her over. He knew he would.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Do you want to see him again?_

He bit his bottom lip, nervously, as he watched the typing notification pop up again...

 **Anne Styles:** _I just don't know. I can't get it out of my head, what he did to his poor dad._

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Try to forget that. Try to remember the reason why he did it_

 **Anne Styles:** _We will keep it in mind. Thank you Louis, no promises._

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Thank you for listening to me._

Louis logged out from his Facebook account, switching off Harry's laptop and gently placing the back onto Harry's bedside table, before settling back down by Harry's side. He rested his head against Harry's before deeply sighing.

How would he ever convince Anne and Gemma? What if Harry was so violent and angry all the time because he didn't have them in his life?

No, it seemed not even they could change his ways. He was too far gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe it will fix Harry. Maybe not.
> 
> Passed 100,000 words. Wow.


	45. Chapter 45

He must have drifted off again after the series of messages he had sent to Anne - without having his phone to distract himself long enough to stay awake - because all Louis knew was that he was waking up for the second time that morning, the room brighter now than the former time. He stretched his legs out and his arms above him, groaning slightly before twisting in his bed to lie on his side.

Harry wasn't lying next to him; just a disrupted sheet left in his wake. Louis was half hoping to wake up and see Harry sleeping next to him again.

He moved to sit up, eyes scanning the room, and he let out a sharp, breathy laugh when he saw Harry sleeping on the floor once again, wrapped in a blanket. He had probably woken up after Louis had fallen back asleep, realised he was supposed to be mad at him, and moved himself in hopes Louis would never find out they shared the bed. But, oh, Louis knew.

"Harry Styles," Louis said in a loud whisper, shattering the silence of the room, "Are you awake?"

He was met with a sleepy groan, causing him to laugh. 

"Should I take that as a yes?" He grinned.

Harry's voice came out deep and raspy with sleep, causing Louis to feel tingles. "It's been very comfortable sleeping on the floor."

Louis smirked to himself, twisting the blanket around his finger idly. "Harry, I woke up earlier this morning and saw you next to me. You couldn't stay away."

Harry breathed out a laugh through his nose, moving the blanket so Louis could see his pretty face now. He was lying on his back, teeth showing as he lightly laughed, one arm draped lazily over his forehead.

"You caught me red-handed."

"Yup," Louis smiled, "Nice try."

"I like having somebody sleeping next to me, okay?" Harry grinned, shooting to sit up and look at Louis. His hair slightly stuck up, causing Louis to throw his head back slightly in a lazy laugh.

"You're an idiot." He chuckled. "Let's get up."

Harry did the opposite, falling backwards into a horizontal position again on his makeshift bed.

"What do you want for your birthday?"

Louis replicated Harry's action of lying down, letting himself collapse onto Harry's bed again. He lightly laughed to himself.

"I already told you, you don't need to get me anything." Louis stated, simply. "I don't care about presents."

Harry huffed, loudly.

"I want to get you something." He complained, before leaving a significant gap of silence, which he or Louis hadn't a care to fill. "Is Charlie getting you anything?"

Louis shut his eyes, and wanted so badly to tell Harry to shut up. He was being taunted; maybe Harry wanted him to ask how he knew Charlie's name, so he could boast about how 'in the know' he was about even strangers.

"Dunno, ask him." Louis tried to reply carelessly, then realised the mistake of his indifference. "Actually, don't. Do not ask him."

Harry breathed a laugh through his nose, sitting up for real this time and using the edge of the bed to hoist himself into a standing position.

"Don't worry, I won't bother your secret lover." Harry's smile surprised Louis -- it was an almost _sweet_ smile, nothing mocking or challenging in it. "Wanna come make some tea?"

Harry was already stood in the doorway of his bedroom when Louis stood up, door propped open with his foot, fixing his hair idly as he waited for Louis. Louis chose to drop the Charlie topic, knowing that otherwise it would fuel Harry's unnecessary anger once again. He followed Harry, careless that he was dressed down in his t-shirt and underwear. He was too worn out to even put his jeans on.

Harry headed quickly through the living room - which was cold, and made goosebumps erupt on the skin of Louis' arms and legs. The kettle was being switched on by Harry when Louis had caught up, and the taller boy was casually drumming his fingers on the kitchen worktop in an exuberant tune.

Louis tried not to look at the two tally marks on the wall again, knowing that once he was reminded of what Harry had done, he would feel deeply upset again. He wished time could have been turned back, and Harry could have been... different. Normal.

"Are you going to ask how I know Charlie's name?" Harry's voice remained bright, and Louis was close to rolling his eyes and leaving the room, but he stayed put.

"No," He shrugged, "I still don't know how you found out _mine_ , when you said it in that shoe shop."

Harry half-heartedly laughed to himself, head lolling back slightly as he did.

"What's funny?" Louis pushed, still overcome with sleep and not possessing the perkiest of attitudes so early in the morning.

"Nothing." Harry dismissed, waving a hand.

"How _did_ you find out my name?" Louis questioned, as curiosity struck. The kettle finished boiling, releasing a cloud of steam, and Harry prolonged answering the question while he got out two cups from the cupboard, dropping a teabag in each before pouring in the water.

"That would be ruining the magic. Do you take milk and sugar in your tea?"

"Milk and one sugar. What magic?" Louis shook his head, in slight humour. "More like _creepiness._ "

Harry retrieved the milk from the fridge, pouring some into each cup, so the deep brown beverage turned a creamy brown. Louis didn't even want tea, he wanted Harry to answer his question. He was curious.

"I'm surprised somebody as sweet as you only has one sugar." Harry smirked, knowing full well that he was avoiding answering the question again.

"Answer meee," Louis whined, playfully tugging on Harry's t-shirt. "How did you find out my name?"

"You just look like a Louis." Harry shrugged, stirring Louis' tea with a teaspoon before tapping it on the side with a shrill tinkling noise. "Here you go, love."

Louis rolled his eyes at the answer, but took the drink appreciatively. 

"Thank you, Prince Charming." He smugly said, taking a small sip, before realising the beverage was still too hot, setting it down onto the counter. 

Harry was watching Louis' face carefully, an unbreakable stare.

"What are you looking at?" Louis sang, smiling back at Harry.

"I fucked you better than he did, didn't I?"

Louis' smile dropped, and he closed his eyes in frustration. "Harry, can you stop bringing that stupid thing up?"

"No," Harry sternly said, "I just want you to admit that I did."

"Why is it some stupid competition? I don't question you about all the people in _your_ past who you've slept with."

Harry pulled Louis in by the forearms gently, twisting him around so he was stood in front of him. Harry rested his chin on Louis' shoulder from behind, nuzzling his nose against his neck. Louis softly shut his eyes and moved his head aside, exposing his neck more, which Harry softly kissed along.

"Tell me it's true." He whispered - half a whisper - as Louis' head rolled back in bliss.

"Tell you that what's true?" He playfully asked, a smug smile playing on his face. He shivered due to the feeling of Harry's got breath fanning against his neck. Having Harry this close was enough to send Louis' blood rushing faster.

"I won't ever forgive it."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Louis sighed, pulling Harry's arms off of him and stepping away. "I'm not going to keep going over this, I wouldn't have come here if I knew you'd be constantly questioning me."

Harry idly blinked, taking a sip from his tea, not offering a reply.

"It's my life, Harry."

"Mm-hmm." Harry nodded, taking another sip from his drink. "I know. We all have to make decisions."

Louis grabbed his own cup of tea, awkwardly running his finger over the rim of the cup to avoid meeting Harry's eyes.

"I don't know what you mean." He piped.

"You made the _wrong_ decision, sleeping with Charlie Dyer."

Was 'Dyer' his surname? Even Louis didn't know that. How the hell was Harry finding this shit out?

Louis decided not to question it, already knowing Harry would come up with some snide, snappy comeback.

"I better not stay long this morning," Louis diverted the topic, taking a large sip of his tea, despite it almost scolding his throat. "Got better things to be doing."

"Like Charlie?"

Louis left the half-empty cup of tea on the kitchen counter, shooting Harry an irritated glance before storming through into his bedroom once again. Harry didn't even bother to follow. Louis jumped into his skinny jeans again and pulled on his socks, before heading back through the living room. The kitchen door was open, so Harry was leant against the counter, watching Louis sliding his feet quickly into his Vans. Harry paced with long strides into the hallway, hand planting on the door to prevent it from opening when Louis tried.

"What are you doing now?" Louis suspired, feeling wholly sick of Harry's childish behaviour.

"Are you still coming here on the 25th?" Harry grilled, hand staying firmly pressed against the door, his pushing strength overpowering Louis' pulling strength.

"I guess we will have to see." Louis tried harder to pull on the door, but Harry pushed harder, so the door clicked shut completely.

"You can't get my hopes up and then go against your word."

Louis removed his hand from the doorhandle, carding it through his hair instead.

"I said I'd come here _before_ you began making so many comments about Charlie. It's just annoying." Louis murmured.

"Louis, I just don't want you becoming some sort of... sex addict."

Louis' eyes went wildly large, mouth dropping open.

"Are you kidding me?!" He scoffed. "I've had sex twice, Harry! Once you with, the first ever time was with you! And right now, I'm wishing I didn't. It only seems to be boosting your ego."

Louis didn't mean it to come out how it sounded. Harry had exhaled suddenly, eyebrows furrowed, breath held.

"You... regret sleeping with me?"

"It-It's not like that, I meant..." Louis trailed off in thought. "I meant it's now something you can take credit for."

Harry's eyebrows somehow seemed to furrow further.

"Take _credit_ for? Or, maybe I slept with you because I love you...?"

"Okay, whatever." Louis sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." Harry commanded, emphasis on the first word, voice full of warning. He glared deeply into Louis' eyes.

"Or what?" Louis challenged, voice as stern as his tone. "You'll kill me?"

Harry's face was full of fury, nostrils slightly flaring, heavily breathing, eyebrows slanted downwards. And Louis was really, honestly scared, but deep down he trusted that Harry wouldn't ever hurt him. He was right; Harry took a step back, fists balled but remaining by his sides.

"I slept with you because I love you." Harry concluded, voice _too_ stable, so though it were forced. "And I'm sorry that I keep mentioning Charlie. I get jealous, you know that."

"I might text you." Louis bluntly responded, successfully opening the front door this time. He was about to leave, when Harry gently grabbed his arm, spinning him back to face him. He planted a soft, apologetic kiss on Louis' lips.

" _Please_ don't say you might text me and _not._ You're all I have." He breathed to Louis, with a sad smile. Louis was plagued with guilt.

"I'll text you." Louis corrected himself, smiling at Harry. "Promise."

* * *

As Louis realised annually, but never learn from, going shopping just four days before Christmas wasn't the best of ideas. The shopping centre was crammed full or hurrying shoppers, frantically pacing around with armfuls of bags, weaving around one another like worker bees. Louis wasn't exactly in a hurry, strolling casually with Niall and Liam, who seemed just as indifferent as him. He had bought just two presents so far: an expensive eyeshadow pallet that Lottie had been dying to own, and a pair of hair curlers for Felicite (which he had to call his mother to choose, seeing as he knew nothing about girls' products.) He still had his mum, dad, two other sisters, Niall, Liam and _Harry_ to buy for.

What the hell would Harry want for Christmas? Maybe a family reunion. But probably not - it wasn't achievable.

"Louis, if you stay in that daydream, you'll walk straight into someone." Liam scolded, grabbing Louis by the sleeve and pulling him out of the path of shoppers, whom he had unknowingly almost walked straight into.

"Sorry, I'm just going over who I still have to buy for." Louis dazed, finally entering reality again.

"This is why you shouldn't leave it so late, Lou. I've bought all of mine already," Niall boasted, "Including your birthday present, by the way."

"Much appreciated, Niall. What do I buy for the twins? God, I'm so stuck." Louis exhaled, stopping and sitting on a free bench on his left, forcing his friends to stop too and sit by him. "Do you think I could just give my mum the money and she could pick something for the twins and my dad?"

It was what he had done last year. He was absolutely clueless when it came to buying presents.

"Yeah, do that." Liam shrugged. "Isn't that the guy from the club, over by the fountain?"

Louis' eyes hastily followed to where Liam had said, and they shut in annoyance when he saw that Liam was correct.

"Yeah," He groaned. "Not really in the mood to talk to him, don't draw attention to us."

"Okay, Louis!" Niall suddenly yelled, at the top of his lungs, and Louis was sure there wasn't in a person around them who _didn't_ hear. Charlie's head whipped over to look at Louis instantly. 

"You bellend, Niall," Louis whined, "Why am I friends with you?"

A wide smile had spread onto Charlie's face, while Louis and Liam chuckled away, and a moment later Charlie was muttering something to his friends before heading swiftly over to Louis and co. Niall stifled a laugh, and Louis stomped on his foot to shut him up.

"Louis!" Charlie greeted, cheesy grin and raised eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

_'Shopping? What else, you stupid-'_

"Just some last-minute Christmas shopping." Louis explained, briefly, with a quick nod.

"Nice." Charlie purred, allowing his eyes to freely wander around Louis' body. "Nice." He repeated. Louis wanted to disappear.

"But we should probably get going now." Liam interrupted, coming to Louis' rescue, noting his awkwardness. "I've got to be home soon."

"Well, Louis, drop me a text tonight. I want to sort out a dinner reservation, you and I?" Charlie rubbed his hands together, excitedly. "Sound good?"

Louis was put on the spot now. He had never been the sort to turn somebody down.

"Umm... sure?" It came out as more of a question than an answer.

"You sound unsure. Do you want to?" Charlie rose an eyebrow, followed by a short, awkward laugh.

"Yeah, sure. Let's do that sometime."

"Great. I'll look forward to hearing from you." Charlie dropped a wink, which should have been more charming than it was. "Bye."

"Bye." Louis waved him off, watching him wander back on over to his friends, who had been watching the whole interaction fondly.

"Fuck my life," Louis sighed, wanting to bury his face into his hands, but knowing Charlie could still see him. "Seriously, why do I agree to things? This stupid date, plus I agreed to spend fucking Christmas day with Harry!"

Niall burst out into laughter, despite it being the wrong time for it.

"It's not funny," Louis gritted. 

"You're a _player_ , Lou!" Niall cackled, continuing anyway. "Cute, little Christmas days in, and dates with another guy too!"

"Harry _cannot_ know." Louis warned, looking Niall right in the eye. "I'm serious."

"We wouldn't tell him." Liam cut in, patting Louis' shoulder. "We know what he's like."

"Okay. Thank you." Louis groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in stress. "Why do I put so much pressure on myself all the time?"

Neither of his friends had an answer either.

* * *

To Louis - From Harry: I love you. Don't try anything stupid. That is a warning Louis. I hope to see you very very soon, all the love .xx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of starting a new fanfic alongside this one, and would like an opinion on which Larry plot would be better:  
> -Teacher/student (overused, I know, but would be fun to write)  
> -Best friend's brother (Louis is Liam's hot older brother. Harry is Liam's best friend)
> 
> Or, you know, I could always write both YAY


	46. Chapter 46

"What did you get me?" Niall fired at Louis, for what must have been the fifth time since Louis mentioned he had bought Niall and Liam's Christmas presents.

"I'm not telling you, Niall! Stop asking." Louis chuckled, shoving Niall away. Louis was carrying bags of shopping, having split from his friends to purchase their presents, and his bank balance must have been over half what it was before he set out.

The only present he hadn't yet bought was Harry's. He hadn't a single clue what to get him. Harry probably wouldn't even be too bothered if Louis didn't get him anything at all, but Louis just felt it was right to choose something. Harry's only interested was boxing - maybe Louis could revolve it around that.

Louis stashed the gifts that he had bought at the back of his wardrobe, hidden beneath a mound of clothes, and his mind clouded with apprehension again, surrounding how in the world he was going to tell his family he wouldn't be around for Christmas day. It was hardly going to be easy; it was one of the most important times of the year to spend with family. His phone vibrated from where he had thrown it down onto his desk upon entering his room.

To Louis - From Charlie: good to see you earlier. how does dinner on the 27th sound? xx

Well, at least that gave Louis a week to prepare for an awkward sit-down meal, but he still had to get through his birthday and Christmas day. If he had any say in his life, he would completely skip over the whole festive period right now and make it January - despite it being four days now until his birthday. He couldn't be bothered with it, quite frankly.

To Charlie - From Louis: Sounds good !

He didn't even bother with a returned kisses. Perhaps Charlie really could end up being a lovely guy, if Louis gave him enough of a chance, but there was always the thoughts of Harry lulling in the back of his head. He was, almost literally, taken by Harry already. Why had he agreed to the stupid dinner date with Charlie anyway?

He was too nice.

To Louis - From Charlie: im excited!!! would love to see you more & spend more time with you. thank you louis, i will get it sorted and text you soon about times and places etc xxx

To Charlie - From Louis: Cool man, talk soon then !!

Louis was going to try to accept the fact that he was allowed to see different people dating-wise, despite how possessive Harry was. It wasn't fair to be tied down in a relationship already, despite how severely in love he may or may not have been with Harry...

* * *

December 23rd, 23:59p.m.

Louis was enjoying (well, not really) the final moments of being seventeen, sat along in his bedroom with just his laptop screen to light up the space. The moment the clock struck midnight, his phone began ringing loudly into the room, so he breathily swore and hurried to grab it.

**Harry**

He laughed lightly to himself, scooping up the phone and pressing it to his ear.

"Happy birthday," Harry stated, voice low and alluring. Louis loved hearing that voice.

"Thanks, love. You sound exhausted." Louis bit back a smile, despite nobody being able to see it.

"Have been boxing for three hours this evening, just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Immediately." Harry breathed, sounding utterly worn out. Louis felt his heart swell due to how adorable Harry was.

"You could have waited until the morning, silly," He grinned, "But thank you, Harry. Means a lot to know somebody's put my birthday before saying it's Christmas Eve."

"I'm going to be honest with you," Harry began, and the shuffling on his side sounded like he was sitting up, "I haven't even bought you a Christmas present yet. I've got your birthday present, though, for whenever I see you."

Louis humorously rolled his eyes. "Then I will just have a birthday present, you don't have to buy me a Christmas one too. Just give me the birthday present tomorrow? I still need to buy your Christmas present for tomorrow!"

Harry began contagiously laughing, ringing out pleasantly in Louis' ear, and it sounded as though he was lying down once again with a shaky breath.

"Don't worry about that, Louis, it'll be enough you being with me. How about tomorrow I give you your birthday present, and that will be enough?" Harry offered. Louis pouted to himself.

"I wanted to buy you a present."

"Don't bother, Louis, you're my present for tomorrow."

Louis chuckled to himself, shutting his laptop, putting it on the floor and laying back on his bed with his phone to his ear.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell my family I'll be gone for tomorrow." He admitted, staring up at the dark ceiling. "But I still want to come to your place."

"Just..." Harry trailed off in thought. "Say you're spending it with Liam?"

"I guess I could," Louis stretched along his bed and groaned in relaxation. "I'm so tired."

Harry laughed, quietly. "You speak for us both, sir."

Louis smiled to himself once again, before basking in the comfortable silence that followed. He felt his eyelids drooping close, but fought to keep them open. He listened carefully, hearing as though Harry's breaths were getting longer and louder. He fondly grinned, knowing too well that Harry was falling asleep. It was utterly adorable.

"Are you asleep?" Louis softly whispered, not too harshly, and was met with no reply. 

"Haaarry?" No reply again, just deeper breaths.

"You're so cute." Louis fondly said, even though Harry had pretty much drifted off to sleep already. "Everything about you. The way you called me yet you're so tired. I love you so much, you don't even know how much."

"I love you too." Harry's sudden voice came, so Louis sucked in a sharp breath before laughing breathlessly.

"Don't trick me." He whined, feeling like his face could snap in half due to the huge smile on it. "Let's sleep now."

"I want you here in my arms."

"I want to be there."

"Goodnight, Louis."

"Night."

Louis ended the call.

* * *

"Louis! Louis! Wake up! Looouis!"

Louis was awoken bright and early by excited chanting, from his youngest two sisters, who were poking and pulling his arms.

"I'm awake," Louis groaned, hiding a smile behind his pillow.

"Happy birthday!" They called at once, as though it were a competition to say it first, and Louis blocked his ears and laughed to himself, before sitting up.

"Thank you, girls." He chuckled, holding out his arms, which they both hurried into, cuddling into him and giggling against his shoulders.

"Morning, Louis." Jay greeted from the hallway, leant against the door frame with a bright grin. "Happy birthday, darling."

"Thanks, mum."

"Christmas is tomorrow!" Daisy exclaimed, excitedly clutching onto her twin sister. "One more sleep!"

She ran out of the room, pulling Phoebe along by her hand, leaving just Louis and his mum.

"About that..." He muttered, urging Jay to look up at him, strolling into the room and sitting on the edge of his bed.

"What about it?" She casually asked, patting Louis' leg through the blanket.

"I'm not... going to _be_ here tomorrow." He broke it to her. Her eyebrows furrowed instantly.

"Why?"

"I'm spending it at Liam's."

Jay flailed her hands out in bewilderment and confusion. "What? Why?"

"I don't know," Louis shrugged, having failed to come up with a good reason beforehand, "I haven't been spending a lot of time with him lately."

"Then why not choose a day _other_ than Christmas day?" Jay argued. "I mean, it's your decision, you are an adult as of today, but I'm just a bit disappointed, is all."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, we just decided that tomorrow we could bond a bit and... yeah." Louis shrugged. Jay copied the shrug.

"Well, fine, I guess," She shrugged again, standing up. "At least you're here today, hey?"

"Yeah." Louis smiled. "Thanks for understanding, mum."

Well... there was that part out of the way.

* * *

Louis managed to see all of his family members throughout the duration of his birthday, including his grandparents. He got the rather pricey watch he had wanted from his parents, and he was pretty happy overall. His family realised, in the end, that he wouldn't be there with them for Christmas day, and he was told his Christmas presents would be set aside for him to open at a later date.

He entered his room at around six o'clock that evening, utterly exhausted. That was enough family interaction for him. He scooped up his phone to see a text from Harry, which had been sent 20 minutes ago.

To Louis - From Harry: How's your day been baby? .xx

He grinned to himself.

To Harry - From Louis: So nice thanks. Saw all my family. Told them I can't be there tomorrow and it's all sorted now xx

To Louis - From Harry: Yaaaay! Btw today I bought you another present for tomorrow anyway .xx

"Shit!" Louis whispered to himself, knowing full well he hadn't bought Harry a single thing.

To Harry - From Louis: Why??? I thought we weren't! Hahaha xx

To Louis - From Harry: I know we did. I don't care if you didn't get me anything Louis, honestly .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Okay Harry :( xx

Louis immediately pulled his laptop up from the floor, opening lid and going straight to Facebook. He was hoping his last resort present would somehow, somehow work.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Hi Anne. It is Louis again. I was wondering if you had given any thought to seeing Harry asap? Maybe tomorrow. I know it is probably too late for this now. Sorry to bother you x_

He knew how stupid his message sounded, he was making an absolute fool out of himself. It was virtually impossible that they could see Harry tomorrow, they didn't even know for certain whether they wanted to see him _at all._

But he got a reply, 10 minutes later. One that surprised him, a lot.

 **Anne Styles:** _Me and Gemma are in Doncaster now. Staying with a friend. Not definite we will be coming to see Harry but drop his address to me instead, thanks darling. Gemma doesn't even know! Might surprise her with it, she sometimes mentions really missing her baby brother xx_

What?! Anne must have been really, genuinely considering it, if she was in Doncaster with Gemma. Louis felt a spark of hope through him, that maybe, just maybe, Harry was going to get the surprise of a lifetime tomorrow. 

To Louis - From Harry: You coming tonight then? .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Yes, I will get there by 9 maybe? You better have a christmas tree we can put up ;) xx

To Louis - From Harry: Haha I think there's one in the loft somewhere that Zayn bought me (and I've never used). He wanted me to start being more Christmassy I guess .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Okay Harry. See you a bit later yeah? xx

To Louis - From Harry: I'm looking forward to it. See you babe .xx

God, Louis hoped with all of his heart that Anne would pull through and agree to visit Harry with Gemma. It would be a shock to Harry, but a good one nonetheless. That was sure to be a huge enough present, right?

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Thank you Anne. Hope you agree to tomorrow maybe ! Harry has no clue. He would be so happy to see you both. Take care x_

Anne didn't reply again after that, leaving the message read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was short. Cute larry Christmas to come. And possible Anne and Gemma return? :O


	47. Chapter 47

Louis couldn't stop himself from buying Harry a Christmas present that evening, on the way to his house. It was a stupid, spontaneous decision, and he managed to spend a startling £175 on it.

Oops?

He had wandered into their nearest sportswear shop, knowing that sports - boxing - was Harry's speciality, and hadn't been intending to spend so much until he spotted a rather beautiful pair of boxing gloves. They were shiny and silver, catching his eye immediately, and the man working in the shop had advised him that _Cleto Reyes_ were one of the best, and most desired, brands out there when it came to professional boxing gloves. So Louis bought them, a brand new pair, having remembered that the pair Harry had worn when they did some training practise together had been rather worn out.

Louis knew how angry his parents would be if they knew he had spent so much money on somebody, especially Harry Styles, but he didn't care. Harry meant a lot to him, and he deserved an extravagant gift, considering all he had been through.

Louis had hidden the box, containing the gloves, at the bottom of his overnight bag, covered with a pile of clothes to hide them. He arrived at Harry's house at five minutes to nine, pressing the buzzer to apartment 128.

"Let me in, Styles." He spoke into the microphone, with a smirk. He heard Harry's chuckle, before the buzz sounded to indicate the door unlocking. Louis underwent the usual routine of jogging up the stairs, strolling to Harry's door and knocking three times.

Harry's smile couldn't have been any larger when he answered, refusing to let Louis in before they briefly embraced. Louis shook off his shoes and placed his bag in the hallway, as Harry shut the door.

"So, eighteen-year-old, your birthday's been good, yeah?" Harry asked, while he took Louis' denim jacket for him and hung it up on the coat pegs.

"Very well, thank you." He grinned. "We're both eighteen now, huh?"

"Only for a couple months. Would you like a drink?" Harry offered, sauntering into the kitchen and opening the fridge. He looked up at Louis over the door for an answer.

"I'll have whatever," Louis shrugged, making his way into the living room, "I'm going to put some music on the TV."

"Go for it." Harry called. "By the way, I couldn't find the Christmas tree. We may just have to have a Christmas house plant."

Louis giggled to himself, putting a dance-based music channel on and placing the remote down on the coffee table.

"A Christmas house plant?" He stifled a laugh. "I love it, let's go with that."

Harry strolled in moments later, holding two glasses of wine. "Here you go, birthday boy."

"Thank you," He smiled, taking the glass and taking a small sip. "Nice."

Harry sat beside Louis on the sofa, tapping his foot along to the music on the television, sipping from his glass before placing it down on the table in front of the sofa. Louis heard the Facebook messenger notification sound from his pocket, and so did Harry. He pulled out his phone, much to Harry's disapproval, apologising quickly before reading over the message. It was from Anne.

 **Anne Styles:** _Hi Louis. I have decided that we would like to see Harry tomorrow. Hopefully you and I can arrange a time or this to happen? Xx_

"Holy shit!" Louis whispered, quickly typing out a reply.

"What?" Harry impatiently replied, obviously thinking it was Charlie again, or anybody else who didn't deserve his attention. Little did he know...

"Nothing, don't worry." Louis muttered, hitting send.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _That is brilliant! You've still got the address right? What time can you make it tomorrow?xx_

"You saying 'don't worry' makes me worry." Harry sternly commented, trying to crane his neck over to get a look at Louis' phone. Louis hid the screen against his chest. "What is it, Louis?"

"Just trust me, Harry, okay? You will understand. Soon."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, before huffing out a laugh from his nose. "Well, okay."

Louis was dying to tell Harry, but he wanted it to be a surprise. He wanted to watch Harry's reaction when his family turned up. It was going to be absolutely priceless. Harry tried not to let the situation bother him, singing along idly to a song on the television, so Louis could enjoy that beautiful singing voice of his.

For the rest of the evening, they just relaxed and drank wine. Louis felt it would be humorous to make a star out of paper to place on the top of the house plant by Harry's dining room table, something about it appealing to him; their Christmas didn't have to be glitzy and perfect, as long as they had each other. Louis loved it.

By the time they decided to head to sleep, it was around twenty past eleven in the evening, and Louis could feel his eyelids drooping shut before their unanimous decision to turn it in for the night. He felt nervous as he lay beside Harry in bed, in the dark, hearing Harry's soft breathing as he drifted to sleep. He was apprehensive that something would go wrong with Anne and Gemma, that an unanticipated argument could break out, but he decided to shut himself up by thinking of all the positives of the situation. Harry was going to see two of the most important people in his life, and maybe he wouldn't feel so lonely then. Maybe Louis could feel less guilty about the upcoming date with Charlie, too, although he hated thinking about it.

Harry overpowered his heart, but still something in him wanted the date with Charlie too. He was just seeing who out there, getting a brief idea of all types of people. Harry was definitely someone else.

* * *

For once in their time of knowing each other, Harry woke up before Louis on Christmas morning. Louis was shaken away by an excited Harry, whose devotion and brightness that morning replicated a child on Christmas.

"Louis, it's Christmas!"

Louis lightly chuckled to himself, blinking up at Harry, who was already up and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Louis sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the and stretching his arms overhead.

"Yay! Christmas!" He over-dramatically called out, voice still thick with sleep. "What's the time, exactly?"

Harry looked at the time on his phone, before locking it again and returning it to his pocket.

"Twenty-seven minutes past eleven."

"Man, I slept in, didn't I?" He laughed, standing up and grabbing some fresh clothes from his bag.

Anne had told him that she and Gemma would be arriving at three o'clock that afternoon, so now Louis was nervous. He dressed quickly, wondering what exactly he and Harry were going to do all day, and headed into the living room. Harry seemed to be rather engaged in a Christmas film that was on the television, quickly snapping from the trance he was in when he found Louis laughing in the doorway.

"The plot pulled me in," He whined, putting the volume on mute. "It doesn't feel like Christmas, does it?"

"Nope." Louis smiled, sitting down next to Harry. Harry was up within seconds, though.

"I want to give you your presents." He smiled, heading into his bedroom. "Wait here. They're not wrapped, by the way."

Louis laughed to himself, waiting on the sofa, and Harry walked back into the room moments later with his hands behind his back.

"Present one. Close your eyes." He instructed. "And hold out your hands. No peeking."

Louis shut his eyes, unable to contain his smile, holding out sprayed out his hands. He felt an object being placed into them, which felt rather box-like.

"Can I open?"

"Yes."

He opened his eyes to find a ring box.

"You're not proposing, are you?" Louis panicked. Harry burst out laughing.

"No, don't worry!" He exclaimed. "It's just a gift. Open it."

Louis looked at Harry squarely, smirking slightly, before opening up the box. Inside was a ring, indeed, silver and smooth. He could see something engraved into it. He gently took the ring from the box, looking closer.

_L.T H.S_

"That is absolutely adorable!" He cooed, throwing his arms around Harry. "Harry, I love it!"

Harry chuckled into his shoulder. "I'm glad, Louis. Now you'll always think of me. Not that you don't anyway." He smirked. Louis playfully rolled his eyes, sitting back and putting the ring on. It was a perfect fit.

"Perfect." He smiled, admiring it in the light. "I love it, Harry. Thank you so much."

"Eyes closed again," Harry commanded, and Louis did as he said. "Hands out."

Louis did so. He felt a larger item placed into his hands, again a box shape, feeling it to try and work out its contents, to no avail.

"What is it?"

"Open your eyes and look." Harry laughed. Louis let his eyes flutter open, looking down at what was in his hands. It was a Polaroid camera. "Now we can take cute pictures!" Harry explained.

"This is gorgeous!" Louis admired, opening up the box to admire the baby blue device inside. "Thank you so much, Harry!"

"No problem, gorgeous." Harry smirked. "We will set them up later and take some pictures together."

"Definitely." Louis leant forward and placed a kiss on Harry's lips, before placing his new things on the coffee table. "I really appreciate the presents, Harry. Let me just go and grab yours."

"Wait, what?" Harry chuckled, watching as Louis jumped to his feet and jogged into Harry's room. "Looouis!" He whined, from in the living room. 

Louis brought his entire overnight bag into the room, loving the absolutely clueless look on Harry's face, a slight smile.

"Eyes closed, Styles. Hands out."

Harry did as he was told, opening out his large hands. Louis dug in his bag for the box that the gloves were in, grinning smugly as he placed it into Harry's open hands.

"Okay, you can open."

Harry opened his eyes, and the moment he read _'Cleto Reyes'_ , his mouth dropped open, glancing in bewilderment at Louis.

"Louis!" He happily exclaimed. "Are you serious?"

He hurriedly opened the box, slipping out the packaged gloves, looking the sheer epitome of in love. He unwrapped them quickly, holding the fresh gloves in his hands and admiring them in awe.

"These are..." He trailed off in disbelief, running his finger over the embroidered logo. "I can't believe it! You're incredible, Louis, these are the best."

He wrapped Louis in a rather tight, appreciative hug, rubbing his back. The moment they pulled apart, he slipped on the gloves, still in awe as he looked at them.

"You're welcome." Louis smugly commented, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I love them, I love _you_." He grinned, hugging Louis yet again, kissing the side of his head. "I told you not to get me anything! These are designer!"

"Just thought I'd treat you." Louis laughed, "I'm glad you like them."

Harry seemed to have only gotten over them, placing them on the coffee table but still ogling over them. Louis adored seeing how happy Harry was with them, knowing full well that boxing was a big part of his life. Louis checked the clock on the wall to see that it was midday now. Already. Three hours left.

"Wait, do you want food?" Harry asked suddenly. "I haven't even offered you any. I don't know what I have." He laughed.

"I'm not too hungry, Harry." Louis truthfully told him. "Let's watch Christmas movies! I wanna watch Christmas movies."

"Whatever you want, okay," Harry nodded, stretching his arms along the back of the sofa, behind Louis, "If it'll make today a little bit more like Christmas."

* * *

_14:53p.m_

Louis was very much freaking out. He had earlier managed to confirm Anne and Gemma would be coming while Harry was in the kitchen, and it was official and happening: they were set to arrive in just seven minutes. Harry and Louis were watching the end of their Christmas movie, when Louis turned and stared fondly at Harry. Harry spotted it in his peripheral vision, turning his attention away from the film momentarily to look back at Louis.

"What?" He grinned.

"No, nothing. Just looking at you." Louis dismissed, eyes wandering around Harry's face. 

Harry held the eye contact, intensely, before very quickly moving in to kiss him. Louis kissed back, not too heavily, knowing that right now wouldn't be the best time to start anything major.

"Harry," He mumbled against his lips, "Not now. Later, yeah?"

Harry groaned in annoyance against Louis' lips, continuing to softly make out with him anyway, so Louis had to physically grab the sides of Harry's face and pushing him gently away.

"Later." He reiterated, looking Harry in the eye.

"Why not now?" Harry pouted, biting on his lower lip seductively. This boy sure was easy to turn on, but now wasn't a great opportunity to.

"You'll see." Louis sang, standing up and clearing the rubbish of snacks they had been eating, hurrying to the kitchen to throw them in the bin.

"What do you mean, I'll see? What are you planning, Lou?" Harry suspiciously called from the living room, and Louis chuckled lightly to himself as he wandered back in, placing his hands on Harry's shoulders from behind.

"I mean you will see-"

The doorbell rang. Harry must have felt Louis' hands tense around his shoulder, and he glanced up at Louis with a questioning look.

"Who's that?"

Louis took a deep, somewhat shaky, breath, smiling reassuringly at Harry.

"Wait here a second. And I mean it, stay here."

"I don't like this! If it's Liam and Niall, I'll just feel awkward, Louis!" He called after Louis, who shut the door separating the hallway and living room, meaning Harry was completely in the dark about who was there. Louis took in a very deep breath before opening up the door.

And there stood two women, Harry's mother and Harry's sister. Anne looked just like she did in photos, and even more like her son in person. She was dressed in a chiffon blouse, lips a rose-petal pink, and Gemma, whose hair was dyed a blonde-ish white, wore a skirt and nice t-shirt.

Louis immediately put a finger to his lips, to stop their voices from being heard in the living room, and Anne grinned as she caught on. Gemma, on the other hand, looked confused, and Louis then remembered that she had no idea why they were there.

"I'm Louis, nice to meet you." He said, and half-whisper.

"Anne," She gestured to herself, voice very quiet. "And Gemma. Lovely to meet you."

"He has absolutely no idea." Louis whispered. Gemma's eyes lit up suddenly, mouth dropping open.

She quietly said, "Wait, Harr-"

Louis politely hushed her, but nodded, and Gemma had the biggest smile on her face, exchanging amazed looks with both Louis and Anne. Louis let them both in properly, shutting the front door behind them, before opening the door to the living room. He gestured for Anne and Gemma to casually follow him into the living room.

Harry wandered out from his bedroom, where he must have been for the time being, and froze in place the moment his eyes stopped on Anne and Gemma. His legs seemed to very nearly give way beneath him, quickly catching himself on the door frame, eyes wide in sheer disbelief, mouth open.

"Oh my God!" He exclaimed, voice immediately cracking as the tears came. 

Gemma sprinted forwards suddenly, launching herself into Harry's arms, while Anne was still gawping at her son in disbelief, eyes beginning to cloud with tears. Gemma was sobbing heavily into Harry's shoulder, tightly gripping onto him into the hug. Anne rushed forwards then, Gemma moving aside to allow her to see her son. Anne gently held Harry's face in her hands, looking up at him with tears running down her face, shaking her head and smiling through the tears.

"My beautiful Harry, look at you." She sniffed, looking with such love at her son. Harry wiped away his mother's tears gently with his thumbs, before wrapping her too in a hug. She held the back of his head, pulling him in so close, while Gemma locked Louis in a hug and thanked him over and over again. Louis hadn't realised he was crying as well until then. All four of them were.

"I love you so much, I'm so sorry." Harry breathed into his mother's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologising." Anne laughed, breathlessly. " _I'm_ sorry, Harry." She held him at arm's length once again, as Louis and Gemma watched fondly, her resting her head on Louis' shoulder and calming down from the emotional outburst. "You've grown up so much, Harry. I'm so sorry I missed it."

"It's okay!" Harry reassured, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You're here now." 

"I was just... I was mad, I over-reacted, I'm sorry." She sobbed. Harry softly smiled anyway. 

"Don't be, mum. I love you." 

"I love you too, my darling." She shook her head in lingering disbelief, before turning to Louis. "Louis, we will never be able to thank you enough." 

Louis linked eyes with Harry, who was wiping a tear from his, smiling so appreciatively at Louis, with so much love. Louis returned it, dropping a quick wink as a 'you're welcome.' 

"You're so very welcome," Louis told her, "It's been honestly beautiful to watch this. Made me cry too." 

"Emotional Christmas, hey?" Gemma laughed. "I can't believe I'm looking at you right now, Harry." 

"How do I look?" Harry joked, placing a hand on his hip in a mocking pose, and Gemma giggled loudly. 

"Absolutely great, Harry. You look so different, I can't believe it. You're so _tall_." 

"I knew I'd outgrow you." He cheekily winked. 

Louis' heart had never felt more happy than today. He couldn't have wished for it to go any other way than it did today, he was deeply fulfilled by the reactions. He couldn't stop smiling, couldn't stop looking between the family members, at the sheer happiness written on their faces. He knew that this gift meant more than those gloves, more than him spending the day with Harry; this meant the absolute _world_ to Harry. 

He was happy. Genuinely, purely happy. Happy for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely loved writing this xx


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally mostly sex HA

Harry's smile failed to fade, over the few hours of the evening.

Despite not being part of their family, Louis felt very in place as the four of them sat in front of the television, with a drink each. Anne couldn't stop looking at Harry, some moments in fond fascination, others in deep contemplation. It was like she was still trying to work something out about him, piecing together the years she had missed out on. There was a restful silence hanging over them, as Anne stared deeply at Harry, whose eyes were fixated on the television. Gemma seemed to notice her mother's gaze too, looking between she and Harry.

"How have you coped, Harry?" She finally spoke up, urging Harry to look her way with his eyebrows raised in intrigue.

"I don't know." He bluntly responded, with a shrug just as blunt. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Anne left it there, giving a soft smile and nod as a reply. Louis was awkwardly tugging at his sleeve, feeling something unspoken was being held back. It was like a sudden cloud of unknowing had floated into the room, ominous. He stood up, gathering up some rubbish from the coffee table.

"I'm just heading into the kitchen, would anybody like another drink?"

"No thanks, love." Anne beamed at him. She seemed to have taken to him, which was good. 

Louis nodded, noting Gemma's drink was still half-full, before wandering off into the kitchen to put the rubbish in the bin. He leant against the counter for a moment, taking a feel breath. The latest event seemed to have completely drained his energy, physically and emotionally, and all he wanted to do now was sleep. He slightly jumped in surprise as Gemma appeared in the doorway suddenly, placing her half-finished drink on the kitchen counter.

"So," She began, leaning against the counter opposite. "I've been meaning to ask, and trying to work it out... you and Harry? You're..."

"It's... complicated." Louis summarised, running his hands down his face. "But, yeah, it's quite the on and off sort of thing, you know?"

Gemma lowered the volume of her voice as she continued, "Well, he's always been quite complicated. I've always wondered how he'll cope in a serious relationship."

Louis lightly laughed, remembering all of the trouble he had experienced with Harry since first seeing him.

"He's rather persistent." Louis smiled to himself, staring into space. "Didn't stop trying until he got me, you know?"

Louis realised how 'hard to get' that made him sound, and now he felt like an idiot. Gemma didn't take it the wrong way through. She simply hummed in understanding, taking another sip from her glass. Her eyes glazed over as she hazily stared into empty space, fingers running over the glass in her hand.

"Are you okay?" Louis asked, urging her to quickly raise her head and shake from her daze.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She smiled, "Just overwhelmed. Can't believe it."

"Harry's a really good guy." Louis commented, looking Gemma in the eye. "And anything he has done in the past, he can prove that he's better now. He's changed."

Had he? Was Louis telling abolute lies? Probably.

"That's reassuring. He'll always be my little brother, no matter what he does." And on that note, Gemma walked back to the living room, which expressed that she really had gone into the kitchen with the intention of talking to Louis.

Louis checked the time on his phone, replying to any messages he had received while he was in the kitchen, so as not to be rude by doing it in front of everyone, before topping his glass up and returning to the living room. Harry watched him as he walked in, eyes scanning down Louis' body, and Louis knew for a _fact_ that Gemma saw it happen. She was probably very confused about their relationship, but then again, Louis was too.

The evening came to an end at around half past eight, when Anne and Gemma decided to head back to Anne's friend's house. Harry was given both Anne and Gemma's phone numbers, and Louis' heart swelled to hear that Anne told Harry to call her whenever he needed to hear her voice. It was reassuring to Louis, knowing how lonely Harry could get.

And before he knew it, they were gone again, and Harry was staring at Louis the moment the door shut.

"What are _you_ looking at?" He smugly asked, with a smirk.

"I can't thank you enough," Harry shrugged, pulling Louis into a hug. "Seriously, Louis, I'm still speechless."

Louis basked in the warmth radiating from Harry's body, burying his face into his chest.

"You're so welcome." He whispered, standing on tiptoes and placing a kiss on Harry's jaw.

"I'm so tired now, the energy has been knocked right out of me," Harry chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Are you tired?"

"Sort of." Louis shrugged. "Are you going to bed?"

"You don't understand how much today has meant to me," Harry returned to the previous topic, leaving Louis' question unanswered. "I didn't think I'd ever see them again."

Louis led them back through into the living room, which had a bright atmosphere now, opposed to its usually dull and lonely aura. Louis used the remote control to switch off the television.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." He smirked, babying Harry and knowing full well he didn't like it.

"I'm older than you, why are you talking to me like that?" Harry whined, a hint of humour behind it. He grabbed Louis' hand and led him into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. "I am absolutely exhausted."

"Get ready for bed, then."

Harry certainly began doing that, pulling his t-shirt off over his head and smirking to see Louis eyeing up his abs.

"Chop chop, Louis, you'll never be ready for bed if you stand there staring." He lowly commented. Louis squinted challengingly at Harry, doing as he said anyway and removing his own t-shirt, folding it messily and placing it in his bag. Harry stripped down to his underwear before heading into the bathroom.

Damn, the sexy aura he always gave off always proved too much. Louis tried not to think too deeply about it, slipping on some pyjama bottoms and a baggy t-shirt before waiting for Harry to return, texting his family members as he waited. Harry left the bathroom a few minutes later, teeth freshly brushed and face washed.

"I think I've got a pack of toothbrushes in the bathroom cabinet," He idly mentioned to Louis, while he carelessly threw his discarded clothes onto a chair in the corner of the room. "So you can use one of them."

Louis kept his eyes from wandering down Harry's exposed body, because _holy shit_ he was toned. Louis had always enjoyed looking at the tight muscle covering the expanse Harry's body, protruding abs and biceps. He nodded and headed into the bathroom, hurriedly brushing his teeth, mind buzzing as it usually did.

Harry was already settled in bed when he entered the bedroom again, blanket pulled up to his waist, scrolling through his phone.

"So you're not sleeping on the floor tonight?" Louis snidely commented, watching a smirk spread onto Harry's face.

"No, I thought I'd keep you safe tonight." Harry joked, placing his phone on his bedside table and shifting into a lying position, head slightly propped up on a pillow. Louis laughed to himself and walked over to switch off the main light, leaving the golden glow of the lamp on Harry's side of the bed.

Louis slanted his head to the side as he looked at Harry, whose eyes were slightly lulling shut as he peacefully lay there.

"What?" He smiled.

"You're going to sleep now?" Louis asked, leaning on one hip at the end of the bed.

"Tired." Harry piped, voice small and adorable. Looking at Harry lying there really did spark Louis' hormones in motion, the way Harry was squinting over at him couldn't have possibly _been_ more alluring. Arousal really shouldn't have been flooding through him, considering how exhausted Harry looked, but he couldn't help it as it swarmed through him.

"Shame." He continued, lowering his voice slightly.

"Why's that?"

Harry watched carefully as Louis walked closer, crawling onto the bed and sitting on Harry's hips. Harry's eyebrows raised, taken aback by Louis' sudden forwardness, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Because I'm not tired yet." Louis planted his hands on Harry's chest, staring down at him deeply. He could feel Harry's heartrate increasing beneath his right hand, smiling to himself at the effect. Louis squirmed ever-so-slightly atop of Harry, knowing the effect it would have on him, sexually. His breath caught slightly in his throat, but Louis heard it.

"Well I am," Harry grinned, eyes beginning to darken. "So I guess I'll go to sleep now."

Louis shifted around with more friction on top of Harry, causing him to inhale sharply before breathlessly laughing at the boy above him.

"But I was really hoping I could ride you." The words leaving Louis' mouth surprised _himself_ , speaking without thinking first, and Harry's mouth opened slightly, eyes fixated passionately on Louis'.

"Well shit." He breathed, shaking his head lightly at Louis in disbelief. "Shit, Louis." Louis loved how Harry's voice had dropped an octave or two suddenly in arousal.

"And you can lay right there, seeing as you're so tired." Louis smirked, brushing a curl from Harry's face and tucking it back. "How does that sound?"

"I'm all yours." Harry purred, moving his arms up and aside to completely expose himself to Louis, leaving himself open for Louis' taking.

"I like the sound of that." Louis whispered, before he leant down and attached his lips to Harry's, slowly kissing him. It was nothing fast and sloppy, just an experimentally slow make out. Harry gladly kissed back, wasting no time in slipping his tongue into Louis' mouth, deepening the kiss.

Louis grinded down his body against Harry's hips, so the latter deeply moaned against his lips, sending a shiver through Louis. He moved down with more friction on the blanket which separated them, before giving up altogether and stopping the kiss briefly to finally throw the entire duvet cover onto the floor, biting his lip at the sight of Harry's body, just in those tight boxer briefs.

He climbed back onto Harry, sitting on his thighs. He slid his hands tenderly down the sides of Harry's abdomen, embracing the soft skin at his fingertips, smiling up at Harry, whose eyelids were slightly hooded in bliss from Louis' touches. Louis dipped his head down and left a kiss on Harry's jaw, trailing them down his neck slowly, painfully slowly, down his chest, and his stomach - which was rising and falling quickly as he breathed. Louis could already see a growing bulge in Harry's underwear.

"You're so easy to turn on," He bit his lip, palming over the outline in Harry's boxers so he breathed out a low moan and lightly bucked up towards Louis' touch.

"When it's you who's turning me on." He breathed, biting down harshly on his lower lip until it whitened. Louis pulled down Harry's underwear, watching his semi-hard dick come free from the restraints and lay heavy against his stomach.

"Fuck yeah," Louis breathed, gathering saliva in his mouth before spitting on Harry's cock, so he hummed in approval and shut his eyes. Louis used it to lubricate Harry's dick, pumping it gently with his small hand. "You like my hand on your dick, Harry?"

"So fucking much," Harry gasped. "But would prefer that pretty mouth around it."

Louis felt a pang of arousal, moistening his lips with his tongue before leaning down and licking one clean strip up the underside of Harry's dick, urging a guttural moan from the back of his throat. When his tongue reached the tip, he caved his mouth around the head, lowering his head down and filling his mouth down to the back of the throat. He opened up his throat, gagging lightly as the tip brushed the back of his throat, spurred on by Harry's noises of approval.

"Just like that. Fuck yes, Lou."

Louis moaned around Harry's dick, glancing up at him through his eyelashes, sending Harry into a frenzy due to how hot and innocent he looked like that. Louis bobbed his head up and down, hollowing out his cheeks to create a heavenly suction. Harry shifted his hips up and down a few times, so Louis choked each time Harry's dick hit the back of his throat, but loving every second of it.

"God, Louis, I need you riding me." Harry whispered, gently cupping Louis' face to lift his head off his dick, a trail of saliva stringing from his lower lip. "Please."

Louis nodded quickly, kneeling above Harry again and quickly pulling off his own t-shirt, followed by his pyjama bottoms. He was already lacking underwear, his own dick hard from what he was doing to Harry moments before, and Harry eyed him hungrily.

"Your body is always on my mind," Harry awed, running his hands down Louis' stomach. "Always."

"I'm flattered." Louis smirked.

"You still opened up enough for me to fuck you? I'm sure Charlie did that enough, right?" Harry sassed, and Louis rolled his eyes.

"Don't ruin this, Harry." He warned.

"Okay, sorry," Harry quickly apologised, raising his arms once again. 

"I'm sure it'll feel good anyway, the pain can feel nice." Louis half-smiled, enjoying how seduced Harry appeared simply from that comment.

"Lube," Harry hastily commented, leaning over to his bedside table, pulling open the second drawer dowm and retrieving some lube. He squinted a generous amount onto his dick, coating it before returning the bottle to its previous place. Louis smiled up at Harry again, who returned it just as lovingly. Louis knelt above Harry's dick, knowing that this was going to hurt like a bitch but telling himself to withstand the brief pain. He wanted this right now.

He reached for Harry's dick behind him, pressing it against his entrance gently nudging it against his hole. Harry's eyes fluttered shut softly as Louis sank down, very slowly, onto his cock. Louis winced slightly at the feeling of being stretched again, but it was a familiar feeling that had his stomach bubbling with pleasure at the pain. He planted his hands stably against Harry's chest as he finished lowering down, completely filled up and gasping slightly at the feeling.

"Ohhh yeah." Harry breathed out, biting on that lower lip again, rubbing a hand down his face slowly. "Fuck, Louis."

Louis' eyes were shut, withstanding the gnawing pain as he adjusted to the feeling of something inside of him again, rocking his body forward slightly so he lifted on Harry's dick, before sinking down again.

"You look so hot like that, my _God,_ " Harry purred, voice low and gravelly. "Taking that cock."

Louis whimpered seductively at the dirty talk Harry was giving him, that low, addictive tone that he took on when he was turned on sent Louis' head spinning. He stabilised himself on Harry's chest once again and rocked back and forth once again, embracing the pleasurable feeling of Harry's dick sliding out halfway, then back in. Each time it entered him again, his stomach sparked. It was slow-paced and sensual, Louis taking his time and Harry urging him to continue with that gorgeously low voice. Louis' eyes didn't leave that stunning face for one second. 

"Just like that, you're doing so well," Harry praised, staring lustfully at Louis. "Taking it so fucking well."

Louis sped up slightly, moaning highly as Harry wrapped a hand around his free dick, which was bobbing against Harry's stomach with each thrust. Harry pumped it along with the thrusts, increasing the pleasure for Louis by double. He tipped his head back in bliss, mouth hanging open and eyes shut.

"Fuck it, let's speed things up a little." Harry smirked, before gripping hard onto Louis thighs, leaving white marks where each finger dug in. He began thrusting his hips upwards at a staggering place, causing Louis to suck in a sudden breath, which caught in the back of his throat.

"Oh, my God..." He gasped, a sharp breath leaving his mouth with every upward movement of the hips. Harry ran his tongue over his lips as he worked his hips up and down, watching Louis falling apart above him, body jolting harshly with every move. He carried on the series of rough thrusts, and soon Louis' arms completely gave way, causing him to fall with his chest against Harry's, his face buried in Harry's neck and releasing high moans as Harry continued to fuck him.

"That's more like it, right?" Harry panted, voice broken and coated with arousal. "You like it like this, don't you?"

"Fuck yeah," Louis' voice came out high and breathy, teeth biting down on Harry's earlobe, hands laced in his hair. Their upper bodies were slicked with sweat, skin sliding together hotly as Harry's thrusts turned to one every couple of seconds, each one emitting a moan from Louis, a concentrated grunt from Harry. Louis was grinding his dick against Harry's stomach as the fucking continued, kissing at Harry's jaw.

"I'm so close already," Harry declared breathlessly, evident in his thrusts, which were becoming more infrequent. "Gonna cum, Louis..."

Louis could feel it too, with Harry's dick hitting his prostate dead-on with each thrust, and the friction of his own dick sliding against Harry's stomach. Harry quickly pulled out of Louis, much to the latter's dismay, and Louis knelt above Harry on shaky knees as they both speedily jerked themselves off, looking one another in the eye. Louis watched in awe at the way Harry's eyes fluttered shut, mouth dropping open and moaning loudly as his body jolted forward, cum streaking from his cock and landing up his stomach. Louis wasn't far behind, finishing himself off with a euphoric whisper of Harry's name, cum joining Harry's on his toned abs.

Louis collapsed beside Harry on the bed, their heavy panting filling the room, and Harry's panting transformed into light laughter. Louis smiled over at him.

"What?" He breathed.

"I'm not tired anymore." Harry smirked. He swiped a finger over his stomach, collecting some of the cum onto it, before prodding it at Louis' mouth. Louis happily opened it, sucking seductively on Harry's finger, swallowing all of the cum before releasing Harry's finger, all while looking him in the eye.

"You are something else, so fucking hot." Harry complimented lowly, leaning over to kiss Louis. "I'm sorry for making that comment about Charlie, Louis."

Louis sighed, but smiled anyway. "It's okay. Just don't do it again."

"I promise not to." Harry pacted, wiping a layer of perspiration from his forehead. "Time for bed yet?"

"You can sleep now, babe."


	49. Chapter 49

Louis wished he could have cuddled up to Harry more the next morning, but he knew he couldn't hang around for too long, and was better off heading home soon after to see his family. But before he did head home, while Harry was still sound asleep, he opened his new Polaroid camera and snapped a photo to capture the moment.

He shook the newly developed photograph dry, smiling fondly at it. Harry lay sound asleep, arms crossed over the duvet, lips pouty and eyelashes gracing his cheeks. It was simply too precious _not_ to. He carefully slotted the piece of paper into his bag before grabbing an old receipt from a front pocket, using a pen to scrawl a quick message onto it.

_Morning Harry, sorry I couldn't be there when you woke up. Just heading home now to see my family (it is almost midday now by the way!!) Thank you for last night. Will hope to see you soon... -Louis xx_

He placed the message on Harry's bedside table, atop of his phone, so he'd be sure not to miss it, before making sure he had everything gathered together.

The freezing cold rush of air hit him as he walked out into the car park, urging him to wrap his jacket tighter around himself as he hurried to his car. As he was sat in the driver's seat, about to stick the key in the ignition, his phone buzzed from where he had thrown it into the car's cup holder. He scrambled to scoop it up with cold hands, unlocking it quickly.

To Louis - From Charlie: Hi Louis, just double checking if you still want to go on that date with me tomorrow?? Xx

"Shit." Louis sighed, rubbing a palm down his face. The first thing that sprang to mind was _Harry._ Always. But Louis felt bad in just letting Charlie down now.

To Charlie - From Louis: As friends maybe?

He nervously bit on his lower lip as he sent the message, knowing full well that he was messing Charlie around here. But it would be even more ridiculous for him to make it a romantic date, especially after everything yesterday with Harry. He decided to ignore the next notification he got, starting his car instead and starting the journey home.

He loved Harry, he really did. But there was always that burning thought in the back of his mind that something huge could go wrong, something that would tip their relationship over the edge, and Louis would be alone again. It was awful to think, but he was going to very subtly keep his options open, despite never wanting things to end with Harry. Not now.

* * *

When Louis could finally be bothered, later on that afternoon, after opening his day-late Christmas presents and giving his family theirs, he opened the text from Charlie.

To Louis - From Charlie: Oh mate what's changed? You found someone new or just not into me?? Shame :( Xx

It was a bit of both of those things. Charlie seemed like he was probably a good guy, just not somebody Louis felt that general _pull_ towards, that he did with Harry. Naturally.

To Charlie - From Louis: Idk Charlie. You seem like a really great guy, I'd still like to see you in a friendly way :)

It was sure to be even more awkward if they were seeing each other over 'friends' terms, than if it were a date. But Louis just felt too mean to kick Charlie out of his life completely. Besides, he did sleep with him, it wouldn't be fair to ditch him.

To Louis - From Charlie: ok that is no problem. how about we just go for a nice walk around the park and have a chat? Xx

Louis would rather _not_ walk around the park and have a chat, to be completely honest. But it sounded chaste enough.

To Charlie - From Louis: Sure. Let's meet at the park tomorrow... 12 good for you?

To Louis - From Charlie: that is perfect. see you then louis!!! Xx

Louis always got himself into uncomfortable situations, it was part of his life. He probably could have postponed it to the point where it didn't happen at all, yet he had ended up being the one to arrange the time and place. What a fucking idiot he was.

* * *

Louis was waiting all day on the 26th for a text from Harry but never received one. Even waking up on the 27th, there was no text message waiting for him when he rolled over to check his phone. As usual, worry flooded him: what if Harry somehow, telepathically knew about the upcoming meetup with Charlie?

It just seemed stupid. Harry wasn't some mind-reader, he was just very good at finding out information.

When midday was approaching, Louis was filled with dread. He wanted to just get on a bus and transport himself to another city, not walk to the local park and have a calm little stroll with Charlie... Dyer - if that was the correct surname Harry had provided. Somehow. Louis told his parents that he was meeting a mate, before slamming the front door behind him and staring the walk to the park. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, having upturned the collar of his denim jacket so it shielded his lower face from the unforgiving wind.

Why had he agreed to walk around the park on such an ice-cold day? Stupid move.

He took his time on the walk, seeing as he didn't want to be there in the first place, and ended up arriving nine minutes late. They hadn't even arranged a specific place to meet, so Louis was strolling along by the duck pond like a total idiot, kicking along the sandy path. The park was almost completely empty, because people actually had common sense and had chosen to stay indoors, in the walk.

He sat back on a bench, which was freezing cold beneath him, too much to lay his back against the backrest, clasping his hands beneath his knees and shivering slightly. The ducks floating around the murky grey water of the pond were Louis' temporary entertainment, the only thing to distract him from the fact that his body was slowly freezing to death. This was urrerly ridiculous. He wanted so badly to be at home, sat on his bed in his pyjamas. Yeah, that sounded good. Perfect.

All of a sudden, he felt somebody prod his shoulder. It was about time Charlie turned up, Louis didn't think he could have waited any longer. He twisted around on the bench, and just about felt his heart leap into his throat to see _Harry_ stood there. No, no, no, this could not have been a worse time.

"What are you doing here?" They both asked in unison, Louis' voice conveying a dose of panic, whereas Harry's carried surprised happiness. 

"Cool how I managed to run into you! I'm just walking back from boxing," Harry shook his arm with duffel bag on, to show Louis. "Decided to walk it there and back today, wanted to clear my head, you know?"

"I'm... just taking some time out." Louis lied, putting on the most convincing fake smile he could muster. Harry returned a genuine one, while Louis' eyes nervously scanned around the fields for any sign of Charlie.

"On such a cold day? You're shivering." Harry fussed, rubbing his large hands over Louis' shoulders from behind. Louis shrugged his shoulders to remove them.

"Sorry, Harry, I'd really much rather be alone right now." In other words, Louis wanted Harry to get the hell out of there, before Charlie turned up and turned this all to shit. He could sense Harry's expression of hurt, despite not even looking at him now.

"Anything I can do to help?" He worried, placing a hand on Louis' shoulder again. Louis shrugged it off once again.

"Not right now. I'll text you, okay?"

"My phone is broken." Harry stated. That suggested why he hadn't replied to any of Louis' texts.

"I'll _Facebook_ message you, then, okay?"

Harry had backed away a step or two, probably due to the indifference Louis was expressing.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later." He responded.

And Louis very nearly got away with this, if Harry would have left just ten seconds earlier than he did, but all of this turned around on itself and came back to bite Louis. Charlie turned up right before Harry started turning to leave.

"Hey, Louis." He called, coolly. Louis literally shut his eyes, clenched them shut, begged for the ground to swallow him whole right at that moment. He knew he had to face the situation, stumbling to his feet, eyes flicking between Charlie, who approached with a smile, and Harry, who was frozen in his tracks, his eyes powerfully trained on Charlie with _so much_ detest.

Louis thickly swallowed, as Charlie came to a stop beside him, slowly catching onto how tense Louis had become, and he patronising death stare he received from Harry.

"Everything... okay?" He slowly questioned, eyebrows slanted in worry, hands dug into his pockets and head tilted aside. Louis was staring at Harry deeply, apologising over and over again with his eyes, but Harry's expression remained unchangeable.

"Everything is fine." There was an eerily cheerful tone to Harry's voice, though he still remained facially stern. "Right, Louis?"

The brightest smile made its way into Harry's face, dimples indented and bright teeth on display. Louis densely shivered at Harry's ebullient manner, crossing his arms defensively.

"Right." Louis replied, his voice coming out small and whispery.

"Make your little date count." Harry's voice took a dark turn, dropping back that low, gravelly version that versed on insane. He turned on his heel quickly, before storming away, fast, across the dew-covered grass. Louis watched him head away, so stupidly not going after him or calling out his name for him to come back. He let Harry huff away in a tantrum.

"What was that all about? Who's that?" Charlie blurted out, gripping onto Louis' forearm gently. "Is everything alright?"

Louis looked down at his feet, his heart still thickly beating, throat even more dry than when he had first set out. He put on a smile, head raising to meet eyes with Charlie.

"It's okay, don't worry. He's just joking around, it's something we do." He lied, such an awful lie, smiling appreciatively. Charlie did not look one bit convinced, but reciprocated the joy anyway.

"Oh. Okay. Are you still up for a walk?"

Louis really wasn't now. He wanted nothing more than to sprint after Harry and lock him in a hug, apologising over and over again before promising never to set foot near Charlie again. But he had foolishly stayed instead. He knew he shouldn't have gone through with his meetup, it was obvious karma would have caused something like Harry miraculously turning up at the park and spotting Louis. It was his own stupid fault, and he couldn't take it back now.

"Yeah."

He began to walk alongside Charlie, listening to him begun to excitedly rant about what a great Christmas he had just had, but Louis' mind was wholly preoccupied by Harry; that eerie smile Harry wore; the bright tone he put on. He hummed along in acknowledgement occasionally to what Charlie was saying, but all he wanted to do was burst into tears and run home. He didn't want to be here with Charlie, and he had most definitely just shattered Harry's heart. Harry was hurt enough when Louis had simply been texting Charlie, and now he had caught him about to meet up with him. Holy shit, this was just awful.

He thought about texting Harry, realising his phone was "broken". He had no mobile data to go on Facebook and message Harry. There was nothing he could do. God dammit, why hadn't he gone after Harry?

"Are you listening?" Charlie suddenly interjected Louis' thoughts, so he thoroughly shook from them and entered reality again.

"Yeah, of course." Louis fibbed, smiling over at Charlie. Charlie smiled in appreciation, before continuing to talk about his life.

This meetup was about Louis and Charlie being friends, nothing romantic. Louis even stated that to Charlie beforehand, yet all Harry would have seen was a date - as he had said. This was so, so shit. So bad.

Louis managed to handle the rest of the walk with Charlie, somehow, but the whole way through he was worrying about Harry and his heart was still racing. Maybe it was the cold weather. No, it wasn't.

When he and Charlie departed, the latter thanked him for a nice meetup, looking deeply at Louis with a penetrating stare that expressed he still thought of Louis in a more-than-friendly way. To be honest, Louis wanted to slap him for making everything complicated. He hugged Charlie anyway, seeing it as a way to gather brief warmth from another body.

"I'll text you, okay? I'd like to see you again soon." Charlie had told him, with a warm smile. "As... 'friends'."

The damn finger quotations he used. Louis wanted it all to stop.

"Yeah, text me." He nodded, smiling slightly. "I'll see you sometime, Charlie."

"Bye, Louis."

"Goodbye."

Louis couldn't turn back time now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've just posted chapter 1 of a "Best Friend's Brother" story, if anybody is interested.
> 
> Here's the link:  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/12714594/chapters/28997727#


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next chapter is gonna be interesting ;)

**Louis Tomlinson:** _Harry, I know that you must hate me so much right now and be so angry, but just know that I was seeing Charlie as friends. That's all. It meant nothing more than that xx_

Louis hated this. He had a swirling rush of apprehension in his stomach as he sent the message to Harry's Facebook, knowing how unstable Harry could very often be. Something like this was bound to send him straight over the edge. 

A reply came within three minutes. It was blunt, ambiguous, and wholly confusing.

 **Harry Styles:** _I know. It will be okay .xx_

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _What will? You're confusing me. Just tell me you're okay and you're not going crazy Harry. Please xx_

 **Harry Styles:** _I'm going to boxing practice now. I love getting nice and stronger .xx_

He was trying to be threatening - Louis could see right through that. And it didn't take much for him to utterly terrify Louis, but for him to be so unhinged following the events of a few hours prior, it was not a great time for Harry to be making threats.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Enjoy your boxing. And hey, maybe you can imagine my fucking face while you're hitting those pads._

Passive aggressiveness was all Louis could think to respond with, before closing his laptop altogether and carelessly stowing it away under his bed. He couldn't help but feel frustrated by Harry's general lack of compassion, his inability to look at the bigger picture before getting angry with Louis. He looked at Louis with Charlie and purely saw a romance, not a friendship. But on the other hand, could he be blamed? Louis did sleep with Charlie. That was a known fact.

And thinking of Charlie, a text from him popped up on Louis' phone screen, lighting it up on his bedside table. It probably wasn't the best of times, however the message did surprise him slightly.

To Louis - From Charlie: louis, who was the guy at the park earlier? can you just tell me please, it's been stressing me out.

Louis could guarantee he was more stressed about this than Charlie was. But what exactly could he say to him? If he mentioned Harry was his romantic love interest, who had been around since forever, it would look very much like Louis was leading Charlie on, just to suddenly let him down and 'friendzone' him. On the other hand, Charlie seemed to sense when Louis lied. He decided to go with a bit of both. 

To Charlie - From Louis: His name is Harry, it's really complicated to explain who exactly he is. He's just a very jealous guy I guess, I'm sorry about the stress.

To Louis - From Charlie: so it was his name you called out during that orgasm I gave you? I remember Louis.

"Oh, for Christ sake." Louis sighed to himself, briefly shutting his eyes. He had forgotten about that majorly embarrassing moment, having been drunk, and cringed just thinking about it. All his mind sparked with when he was feeling any significant pleasure was Harry fucking Styles. How ridiculous. And understandable, all the same.

To Charlie - From Louis: Maybe I did. And I'm sorry about that, I don't see why it matters if we are just friends that he was on my mind?

To Louis - From Charlie: because you told me you were single. and its not exactly the politest of things to do but whatever. I'm not really angry, just confused i guess.

 

Louis really wanted to see Harry. He knew where Harry was: at boxing. But he couldn't exactly saunter over to him and expect him to be all smiles, considering what was currently happening.

Louis found himself slipping on his coat and shoes anyway. He didn't care anymore about responding to Charlie, it was just tiring. All he wanted to do was see Harry, which was quite the occurrence in his mind now, so often. He drove over there, his hands practically frozen to the steering wheel due to the ice-cold temperature stowed in his car, like his own personal freezer. It was quarter to ten at night now, and only just under ten hours since Harry had stormed away in the park. The sooner he saw Harry and cleared things up, the better.

When he pulled into the car park of the sports centre, he parked in a space that was facing the entrance of the building, yet not too close. His lack of courage got the best of him, effectively gluing him to the driver's seat. He stopped his car's engine but stayed in the seat, sat in the darkness of his car, which was lit up slightly by the many growing buttons scattered around the dashboard. It was a pretty obvious fact that Harry wouldn't be done boxing for quite a while, considering he sometimes stayed for a few hours' training, but Louis chose to sit there and _wait_. 

He switched the radio on at a moderate volume, followed by the air conditioner to heat the car up, because his teeth really shouldn't have already been chattering if he may have to sit there for another hour or so. Harry's large car was parked not too far from his, he had spotted it before making the decision to stay, and for some reason it made him feel more nervous. Harry was definitely in there, getting even stronger, as he had said. It was damn hot, but terrifying nonetheless. 

Louis could bet his life Harry had those beautiful Cleto Reyes boxing gloves on. He hoped Harry did, really. He deserved those.

It took Harry almost an hour to wander out of those doors, once the time on Louis' car's dashboard read **22:35**. He looked long and lean from such a distance, dressed casually in shorts and a plain t-shirt, carrying his kitbag over his shoulder.

Louis sprang into action, almost beeping his horn from how fast he scrambled to get his seatbelt off and rush out of his car. The slamming of his car door behind him urged Harry to look up, while striding towards his car, eyes instantly locking on Louis, who was approaching him. Harry's reaction was unreadable: surprised, with some quite fabricated annoyance, too.

"What?" He snapped, once Louis had reached him, breathing slightly heavier from how fast he had rushed over there.

"Can we talk?"

"There's not really anything to talk about," Harry sternly said, before heading right past Louis and continuing the journey towards his parked car. "We already messaged each other about what you want on talk about."

"Do you not want to see me again, or something? This car park is where we first met, remember? I don't want it to be the last place as well."

Harry reached his car, unlocking it before casually leaning against it, long legs crossed at the ankles. He has an amused smile on his face.

"Cute, you remember our first ever meeting. I bet you remember it like it was yesterday. I do. You looked so stressed about your car and I wanted you to be mine." Harry soppily grinned. "Of course I want to see you again. I was going to invite you round for new year's eve, Zayn's coming too."

Louis wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. No, not because Zayn had been invited too, but because of how quickly Harry's moods changed. It was almost impossible to latch onto what mood he was in: he went from storming away from Louis and saying he didn't want to talk, to inviting him to his house in four days. This was getting impossible.

"So... you're not angry?" Louis slowly asked, scratching awkwardly on his forearm.

"Of course I'm angry. But that doesn't mean I don't want to see you. If people filed for divorces because they were angry, nobody would be married anymore."

Deep. Harry was thinking outside the box again, trying to outsmart Louis by being a complete smart-arse.

"I don't want you to be angry."

"Then I won't be," Harry shrugged, before he slowly smiled. "It's absolutely fine. I'm not angry, Louis. Everything is fine."

Louis cocked an eyebrow, head tilting to the side. Harry was being eerily happy again, putting on that false grin that made Louis shiver. It was one of his bad habits.

"Go home and get some sleep, Harry."

"I won't sleep."

"Try." Louis commanded, dipping his gaze down to look at his feet, knowing that showing any assertiveness couldn't be met with looking Harry in the eye. "I'll message you, okay?"

He glanced upwards again to see Harry staring at him, intensely. This wasn't just a stare of passion, or intimidation, it was a stare that hid something locked away behind it; a stare that had Louis questioning everything.

"Okay, Louis." Harry softly responded, after a moment, without breaking the eye contact. Louis was the one to do so, finishing their interaction with a flat-mouthed smile and a nod, before walking away to his car.

* * *

Louis tried texting Charlie again the next morning, on the 28th, seeing as he had ignored the last message he had sent and it was beginning to look rude, if he chose to leave the conversation altogether.

To Charlie - From Louis: Hi Charlie, how are you? Sorry that things have been awkward lately.

He left his phone upstairs for most of the day, dedicating the day to actually spending some time with his family. He had been lacking in that department lately, feeling as though he had been distancing himself from them lately, especially considering he had spent Christmas with Harry (and lied about it) instead of with is family. Harry was changing him. It was strange.

By the time he finally returned to his bedroom, come eleven o'clock that evening, he immediately checked his phone so he could reply to the inevitable text Charlie had responded with, with an apology for taking so long to reply. There was no text waiting from Charlie, though, and Louis' first thought was that he was mad at him. Maybe he figured giving Louis the silent treatment would cause him to feel bad and realise how badly he was treating him. Or, maybe, as human beings often were, Charlie was busy elsewhere and wasn't checking his phone. Either way, Louis had been expecting a reply to return to.

There was a Facebook message from Harry, however, when Louis logged onto his account to check his messages.

 **Harry Styles:** _Sorted it all out now, Louis... about the 31st that is, wanna get here by 9pm? Thank you, I love you more than anything and I always will .xx_

Well, the ending of that message put a smile on Louis' face immediately. Harry really was a true romantic at heart, that was undeniable, but it was still quite new when it broke through his badboy, scary demeanor to pleasantly surprise Louis.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _I love you too, Harry. I will be there then xx_

 **Harry Styles:** _The things I do for love :) .xx_

Was he referring to his soppiness? Probably. It didn't seem he had ever been so loved up and romantic before in his whole life before he met Louis. It was like they were destined to meet.

Louis was looking forward to seeing Harry on the 31st, and maybe even a bit excited to see Zayn too. It was nice expanding his circle of acquaintances, and any friend of Harry's could be a friend of Louis', despite how rude and a bit strange Zayn could often be. Not in a strange way - more of an intriguing way.

Louis sent one more text to Charlie before he went to bed.

To Charlie - From Louis: Look, I don't know whether you're mad at me or whether you just haven't read the previous message, but I'm sorry if you are annoyed and I apologise. I still want to be your friend. Good night.

Louis locked his phone and put it into the top drawer of his bedside table.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 120,000 words, damn.

To Charlie - From Louis: Yeeeah, you're annoyed with me. I do still want to be friends, sorry for everything that has happened.

It was the 30th of December. It had been three days since Louis had seen Charlie, in the park, and they hadn't texted since the evening of the 27th. He was quite convinced by now that Charlie had deleted his number or blocked him, which was a shame, because he had seemed like a respectable guy - someone who would make a good friend, despite the awkwardness. Louis only really had Harry, Liam and Niall at the moment, and even then, he wasn't spending much time with the latter two.

He was trying to enjoy the last 9 days of the Christmas break, knowing full well he'd be returning to school on the 8th of January, and would then have no choice but to hang around Liam and Niall all day. It also meant seeing Harry less, too. Good? Bad? A bit of both. Either way, his life was sure to feel more balanced again, having a routine instead of waking up midday and going to sleep at three o'clock in the morning. It was fucking with his sleep and general daily performance. 

By midday, on what Louis was using as a 'lazy Saturday', he had only just made himself presentable enough to go downstairs to make breakfast. Late breakfast. The television on the kitchen wall was blasting a dreary, negative news channel, which his mum seemed to enjoy putting on daily, reminding her children how bad a place Doncaster could be. Today, apparently a corner shop's window had been smashed in overnight. Fun. Lovely, really.

Louis grabbed the cereal from the cupboard, tipping some into a bowl, shaking the bowl to flatten out the contents. Grabbing the milk from the fridge, he poured in a generous amount, flooding the cereal, before returning the carton to the fridge. He sat at the kitchen table to eat it, the chair screeching unpleasantly against the floor tiles as he pulled it out. He knew that if he went into the living room to eat it, where his parents were, he would receive immediate complaints from them, _"Come on, Louis, it's the middle of the day! Why haven't you had breakfast yet?"_ Blah, blah, blah.

Louis began eating the cereal while in a daze, his eyes trained on the window above the sink. He wasn't really listening to the news in the background much. But then all of a sudden, he was.

_"And in other news, an upsetting story to share today. Nineteen-year old local teenager Charlie Dyer was reported missing this morning by his parents, following a failure to return home after a morning work shift on the 28th, or responding to their many phone calls..."_

Louis' head whipped up in panic, wide eyes focusing on the screen upon hearing those words. He had dropped his spoon with a metallic ring into the bowl, blood racing faster in his veins. On the screen was a large photograph of Charlie, definitely, obviously Charlie, smiling and holding a glass of beer, to identify him. And beside it read:

__**MISSING**  
Name: Charlie Owen Dyer  
Age: 19  
Height: 183cm / 6 feet  
Weight: 159lbs / 72kgs 

_Brown hair, brown eyes. Slim build.  
Last seen by work colleagues, wearing plain black shirt and black jeans, on the morning of the 28th of December. If you have any vital information or have seen Charlie, please contact Doncaster Police Station on 01142196905._

 

Well... that was why he hadn't been replying to Louis.

He was absolutely speechless, frozen in shock. His appetite was suddenly gone and all he wanted to do was run upstairs and never leave his bedroom. This was because his mind immediately printed out Harry's name onto his thoughts. Charlie goes missing, the morning after the day Harry had caught him meeting up with Louis... it added up a bit _too_ much to appear coincidental. God, he didn't want it to be true, but his brain was screaming the obvious at him.

He carelessly tipped his unfinished cereal into the bin, throwing the bowl and spoon into the washing up bowl before running upstairs, returning to his untidy room. He cursed aloud when he realised Harry's phone was still broken, having to result in Facebook messaging him again instead. He grabbed his laptop and slung the lid open, quickly logging onto his Facebook account and opening his chat with Harry.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Where the fuck is Charlie?_

His heart was throbbing heavily, making his breathing uneven. He even found himself shaking slightly. This was fucking ridiculous.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _I can see that you're online Harry. Reply to me right now._

Louis was seething with anger at Harry's indifference. It clearly told Louis that Harry was currently active on Facebook, yet he didn't read the message. It made things even more suspicious.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _I am so furious with you!!! Open my fucking messages!!!!_

He angrily hit send, and then saw that his messages had been read. He held his breath to see Harry typing, wanting him to hurry up, his chest rising and falling impatiently. A message popped through, with the notification sounding from his laptop's speakers.

 **Harry Styles:** _I don't know where Charlie is, Louis. I just saw it on the news though .xx_

Bullshit. Absolute bullshit.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _So you're trying to tell me you have nothing to do with this? Just tell me where the hell he is!! Right now!!!!_

Louis, at that moment, wanted everything to be over. He didn't want to know Harry, wished he had never met Charlie, wanted to be alone.

 **Harry Styles:** _I don't fucking know where he is! Seeing it on the news was shocking for me too, I know nothing and have nothing to do with it!_

Why did he have to be so in denial? It was pointless.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _I am so frustrated right now. There is a 99.9% chance this was your doing, so just tell me now where he is Harry. I swear._

 **Harry Styles:** _Well on this occasion it's the other 0.1% Louis, because I'm innocent. I wish you'd just believe me._

Was that plausible? Louis had never felt more conflicted. Here was Harry begging him that he didn't know a thing, yet it would be more than likely he had something to do with it. Almost virtually impossible for him not to.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _I don't know what to think. This is so shit, for fuck sake._

He really wanted to believe Harry, but a large part of him didn't. 

**Harry Styles:** _Please believe me. I love you .xx_

Louis sighed to himself, finding himself becoming convinced that Harry was innocent.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Well. I hope the police find him._

 

 **Harry Styles:** _Are you still coming round tomorrow? .xx_

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Do you promise me, from the bottom of your heart, that you don't know where Charlie is?_

 **Harry Styles:** _I absolutely promise Louis .xx_

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _Then I'll see you tomorrow at 9pm x_

Louis felt more reassured now. Harry _promised_ that he knew nothing about Charlie's disappearance, it didn't seem as though he would lie to Louis so blatantly. What if it was all a coincidence, and Charlie really had just gone missing at the worst time?

Or Harry was lying.

Or Charlie _had_ just gone missing.

Louis hoped Harry wasn't lying.

* * *

Zayn was the one to answer the front door of Harry's house when Louis knocked at around ten past nine the next evening. He looked good, what with the tattoos scattering his arms, and the dark lashes framing his sparkling eyes. He always seemed to just radiate... coolness.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=ws4suh)

Louis liked Zayn. He seemed like a good friend for Harry, for the most part, when he wasn't being strange or expressing problems of his own. He seemed stable enough, from what Louis knew, and he was a calm and laid back guy. He welcomed Louis with a bright smile. 

"Hey, how are you doing?" He allowed Louis inside, an arm extended in greeting, into the house.

"Hi, Zayn. Not bad, thanks." Louis patted him on the arm, before slipping off his shoes by the door and hanging his denim jacket up on the coat pegs. "Where's Harry?"

"In there," Zayn nudged his head towards the closed living room door. "Do you want a drink? I was about to grab one."

"I'll just have whatever you're having, if that's alright."

Zayn nodded and sauntered off into the kitchen. Louis chose to wander into the living room, walking in to find Harry casually scrolling through his phone, sat on the leather sofa with his long legs drawn up and crossed in front of him. He looked up at Louis once he registered his presence and immediately put away his phone, focusing every ounce of his attention on the new visitor. It was sweet how instantly he dropped what he was doing, ready to welcome Louis instead.

"Good evening." His voice had a sort of comical ring to it.

"Evening." Louis gave a quick wave of greeting, walking further into the room and leaning against the wall. He could feel such a cloud of tension had arisen over them, making things undeniably tense, and the two of them knew exactly why. Charlie had disappeared.

"Is beer okay, Louis? I got you a beer." Zayn loudly broke the silence, and Louis was eternally thankful. He couldn't take the way Harry was looking at him, the penetrating stare he gave.

"Beer's fine, mate, cheers." He gratefully took the ice-cold can from Zayn, cracking the lid open while Zayn jumped over the back of Harry's sofa as his way of getting onto it. Louis stayed put where he was, hovering awkwardly beside the wall.

"You alright?" Harry directed at him, watching him squarely.

"Fine." Louis put on a smile. "Why?"

"You're acting... distant."

Louis shook his head, the soft smile remaining. "I guess I'm just a bit tired. This'll wake me up." He held up the can, before taking a long sip. He strolled over to the armchair beside the sofa, falling back onto it with an exhale. Harry was still watching him closely. Louis ignored it.

"How have things been going between you two? Good, I take it?" Zayn unknowingly maximised the awkwardness by about 98%. All he was trying to do was make friendly conversation but really how "things" were going was the _last_ thing that should have been voiced. Things weren't exactly going great, what with the unspoken _where the hell is Charlie?_ topic looming over them.

"Things are great," Harry spoke up first, brightly grinning at Louis, "We've been really close lately, so."

"I'm glad." Zayn nodded, placing his can down onto the coffee table. "And the meetup you arranged with Gem and Anne, Louis, that was amazing of you."

Louis smiled at that, modestly shrugging. "Well, it made Harry happy. That's all that matters."

Harry shot a wink at Louis, almost as an extra thank you, and Louis gave a nod in response. Things between them were still very obviously tense, hidden beneath the surface, but having Zayn there too was good. Otherwise Louis knew the night would end in an argument.

But seeing as Harry was so persistent about pleading his innocence, Louis wanted to try to believe that he was telling the truth. He didn't want things to be awkward tonight, not on the final night of the year.

They sat around and chatted for the next hour. Louis made his beer last, only taking a sip occasionally - mainly because he felt rude downing it and asking for another, despite how comfortable he should have been around Harry by now. It was now a little under two hours until midnight, yet Louis wanted it to come around already. He was mostly listening to Harry and Zayn blabber on about things he didn't care for, or didn't know about, and he was trying to find interest in the music videos that were being played on the television but merely found them distasteful.

"Do you want another drink, Lou?" Harry offered, catching on to the fact that Louis had been sipping on the same can for just over an hour now. It was practically empty, he was trying to savour what wasn't even there.

"Nah, I'm alright." He lied, not wanting to give anybody the trouble. "Not really that thirsty at the moment."

They held eye contact for around five long second before Harry nodded and looked away. It was like they were trying to communicate non-verbally, say the unsaid things without speaking. Louis really hated this. He wished Charlie would just be found already, return home, so he could trust Harry once again.

The next hour consisted of Zayn singing along, rather passionately, to a series of songs playing on the music channel. He could sing amazingly too, Louis wanted him to do a duet with Harry but Harry seemed to keep quite reserved this evening, sipping on his drink and watching Zayn with a smile.

It reached _23:30_ and Louis was very much enjoying hanging out with Zayn and Harry. If he had been at home instead, by now his family would have forced him to engage in stupid, infantile and embarrassing games of charades or something of the sort. Here, he was just relaxing. With an empty beer can. Yeah, he really needed another drink.

"Harry, do you mind if I grab another drink?" He courteously asked, knowing it would be fine to just do so without permission, yet still feeling inclined to.

"Of course you can, you don't have to ask, go ahead." Harry waved a hand, with a charming smile, so Louis thanked him and jumped to his feet, deciding to collect up all of the empty cans that Harry and Zayn had consumed too. He wandered off into the kitchen, dropping the cans into the recycling before opening the fridge.

Zayn strolled in behind him, mentioning something about finding a drink that was stronger, going through Harry's cupboards while Louis settled on some orange juice. He retrieved the carton from the fridge before finding a glass in the cupboard, beginning to pour a decent amount in.

His eyes flicked up to take in the tally marks on the wall.

**| | |**

He kept his gaze there for a moment, until his vision went blurry. He counted again, despite the painfully obvious number of lines in front of him. One, two, three. One new line. He felt himself pale as the blood drained from his face, and goosebumps shot to the surface of his skin. The third line was slightly darker than the first two, blacker, fresher. The former two had faded over time but this one was good as new. Louis felt like he was going to collapse.

"Zayn." He softly said, surprised by how quiet his voice came out. "Zayn..."

Zayn made a hum of acknowledgement, but didn't turn away from browsing the assortment of alcohol he had found and lined up on the counter. Louis kept his voice low.

"You know the meaning of the lines on Harry's wall, yes?"

"Yeah, they're the two... things he did." Zayn mumbled, keeping the volume of his voice to a minimum too, and then he turned around, eyes falling from Louis to the tally marks. They stayed there. Louis watched his face change, his eyebrows slant in shock, mouth remaining slightly agape. "Three."

"Three." Louis quietly repeated, swallowing thickly.

It was Charlie. It had to be Charlie, and now Louis wanted to just scream. He wanted to run into the living room and slap the living daylights out of Harry. Not only had he done something so atrocious, yet again, but he had also lied to Louis about it, so sincerely.

Zayn rested a calming hand on Louis' shoulder, but Louis could feel him shaking slightly. Reality had come crumbling down around him, reminding him that his friend really hadn't changed.

"Well, we will have to confront him about it." Zayn finally filled the silence. Louis felt himself tense up.

" _No_ , oh God, what do we say?" He panicked in whisper, wild eyes meeting Zayn's. "I'm so scared, and so angry, and..."

Zayn softly hushed him as a way to silence him, stroking his thumb over Louis' shoulder.

"I'll do the talking." He reassured. It wasn't enough.

"But I know _who_ he killed."

Zayn looked at Louis carefully. "You... you know?"

"Harry!" Louis called out, trying so hard to keep his voice from shaking. "HARRY, GET THE FUCK IN HERE!"

Zayn's eyebrows shut up in surprise at how loudly Louis yelled. He took a step away from Louis right before Harry strolled in, so casually.

"What?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed, scratching the back of his neck. Louis was shaking his head in disgust at Harry, eyes flamed with hatred.

"What the _fuck_ is that?" Louis grilled slowly, through gritted teeth, pointing furiously at the tally marks.

Harry's eyes widened slightly, knowing full well he had been found out. In an instant, he turned quickly away, storming back into the living room. Louis followed, fast, while Zayn called for him to calm down. Louis physically sprinted after Harry, chasing him down into his bedroom, but he couldn't catch Harry before he locked himself in his bathroom.

"Louis, it's okay, we can talk this through..." Zayn calmly assured, holding a defensive hand out. Louis ignored him, thudding violently on the bathroom door.

"OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR!"

"I'm sorry," Harry quietly replied from the other side, his voice small.

"THAT DOESN'T RESOLVE IT! IT DOESN'T BRING CHARLIE BACK TO LIFE, YOU BLOODY PSYCHO!" Louis thumped with a fisted hand against the wood. Zayn was pacing back and forth behind Louis, running his fingertips through his hair in stress. Probably contemplating how this was happening again, how Harry had done this.

Louis' throat was raw from the words he had ripped out from it. He was shakily breathing, quiet enough to hear that Harry was shakily sobbing on the other side of the door. Louis tried to stop the sympathy from seeping in, but it happened naturally whenever Harry was upset. He couldn't help it.

"Harry." He sternly said, testing the doorhandle, to no avail. "Open the door."

"Nooo," Harry whined, voice thick with tears, "I'm sorry, Louis."

"You lied to me."

"I know, I'm so sorry, fuck." Harry sniffed, before harshly coughing. Louis put his back to the door and slid down to the floor, holding his legs to his chest and his forehead to his knees. The tears came. Harry had killed Charlie. He had committed another murder.

What was chilling about this was the fact that this one was a pure, relentless, remorseless killing. The other two, a boxing _accident_ and an act of saving his family from an abusive man. _This,_ this was sinister. 

He had killed in cold blood.

 

_-Do you promise me, from the bottom of your heart, that you don't know where Charlie is?_

 

_-I absolutely promise Louis .xx_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no Harry. Not again.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIGHT. SO.
> 
> Here is a rewrite. Now, I know that this contains a drastic change from what I wrote before (which I think is for the best, and shows Harry's better side) but hopefully it is a change that is good.
> 
> Thank you so much for all he supportive comments on the side note I wrote, I'm so happy. It means a lot. I hope you enjoy this new chapter, although it isn't too long. I can work things up from here. Thank you xx

"I'm going home." Louis' voice came out as no more than a rasp, hoisting himself to his feet by grabbing the doorhandle above him. Zayn shot up into a sitting position from where he was laid back on Harry's bed, a quizzical look on his face. He was clearly just as hurt by what they had just discovered about Harry.

"You haven't let me explain properly," Came Harry's voice, soft and small, from the other side of the bathroom door. Louis stopped in his tracks, folding his arms and huffing.

"What is there to explain, Harry? It's pretty plain and simple. You've killed. Again. For the third time."

He heard the sound of the bathroom lock twisting open, peering over quickly to find Harry stood in the doorway. His eyes were tinged pink from the previous outburst of tears, idly scratching his arm. Louis tilted his head to the side, showcasing that he was impatiently awaiting Harry's "explanation".

"Well?" And he was scared, but he tried not to show it. He wanted to leave, but he also needed some clarification, a real _reason._

"I didn't just kill him because I was _jealous_ that he might win you over." Harry respired, bowing his head to break the eye contact. "I had more of a reason, a reason that I've been meaning to explain to you for a while now."

Louis didn't quite know what to say in response, but his mind raced to think of what this reason might be. Harry looked serious, a deadpan expression and his jaw locked in a pensive manner. Louis lowered himself to perch on the edge of Harry's bed, quite close to Zayn, for general comfort. He appreciated that Zayn was here right now, to share the terror.

"Explain what?" He piped up. Harry decided to lower to the floor, sitting cross-legged, his long legs drawn close to his body, unable to handle standing straight in the limelight. He ran a hand down his face, exhaling audibly.

"Charlie wasn't the sort of person you thought he was."

Louis felt a dense shiver run through him, urging the hairs on his arms to stand on end. What did Harry mean?

"What do you mean? Who's Charlie? Can somebody please explain this to me?" Zayn stressed, looking back and forth between Harry and Louis as though he was watching a tennis match.

"Charlie was... somebody who was interested in me. Romantically." Louis generalised, blandly. He could see the anger flaming behind Harry's eyes; he clearly wanted to bring up the fact that Louis had slept with Charlie, but he bit his tongue. Zayn nodded in understanding, seeming to realise more how this was all falling together.

"Why wasn't he the sort of person I thought he was?" Louis spat, still not seeing any clarification coming to surface. He wanted to know how it had caused Harry to become a killing machine, once again - he needed to understand.

Harry seemed very reflective all of a sudden. He drew his knees up, arching his legs in front of him and holding them from underneath. He stared into empty space as he continued.

"As you both know, I'm good at finding things out. Like your name, Lou, when we first met." Harry proclaimed, his eyes raising to meet Louis' from the distance between them. "And I found out Charlie's surname, yes, but that's not all I found out about him. And when I found out all this stuff, I _really_ wanted to tell you it all, but I thought maybe he would slowly disappear from your life. I left it. But when I saw you in the park, meeting up with him, I knew that he wouldn't let you _go._ "

Louis gulped, coating his dry throat. "Just cut to it. I need to know right now, what did you find out?"

"He's a really bad person, Louis." Harry continued to lack any detail in his explanation, frustrating Louis.

"Harry, out with it!"

"For one, he was a heavy drug dealer. And I _mean_ heavy. Weed, crack cocaine, heroin... it all."

Immediately, Louis thought back to the state of Charlie's house. It was a tip, scattered with belongings, carelessly strewn around. That was a minor red flag, the state of his home. Not to mention the tiny, semi-healed holes on Charlie's left forearm, which he had tried not to think about too much. It all made stupid sense, but was that a reason for Harry to _kill_?

"What else?" He pushed. He could see in the corner of his eye that Zayn looked shocked, probably shocked that Louis had even hung out with Charlie, considering his seemingly innocent persona.

"He wanted to use you for something, I know he did." Harry jeered, shaking his head angrily. "And I have proof for it. I did research, I spent hours doing it, I didn't stop until I had an answer." Harry's tone was progressively angry, fingers tightly locked around his legs.

"Use me?"

"Use you."

Louis shook his head, unable to understand.

"Use me for _drug_ dealing?" He guessed, his mind too clouded to think through what this could be about. Harry shook his head this time, harsher than Louis had.

"No. For sex. With other people."

Louis' bewildered eyes remained on Harry for what seemed like an eternity. Zayn had drawn in a sharp breath of surprise, eyebrows raising, while Harry's face remained unchangeable.

"Prostitution?" Louis' voice was high and slightly shaky, feeling his heart begin to race blood through his veins faster. He tried to remember back to every little thing Charlie had said and done. The way he had immediately wanted to escort Louis to bed was hardly classy, the way he practically poured pure vodka down Louis' throat.

"Yes. I found somebody he works for. And I found Charlie's contact email," Harry harshly swallowed, "Sent him one myself. Asked for somebody young, pretended I wanted to hire. He said there was somebody he was 'working on'. Somebody young, innocent, a description that matched you to a tee. I've got the email to show you, if you don't believe me..."

"I believe you." Louis gently said, body stiff. "So... he was _working_ on me? Getting me to agree to do it?"

"Exactly. He was planning on manipulating you, and I figured it out early enough. I knew exactly what he was doing and I am so glad I did."

Louis didn't feel like he could say "thank you", still rendered speechless, but he felt like nothing could fill the void of silence that followed. He felt thoroughly disgusted, foolish, manipulated. He had thought Charlie was a nice, decent person, but clearly it was all a part of the act. When he had spotted Louis across the club that night, he had seen somebody who would be an easy catch. Louis had been tricked. When Louis didn't respond, and Zayn stayed ever silent, Harry decided to continue.

"When I confronted him, the morning he was said to have formally gone missing, I wasn't planning on killing him." Harry assured, pouting his lips aside in contemplation, breaking the eye contact and staring ahead. "I found him on his walk home from work that morning, and was planning on interrogating him, maybe just threatening him to stay away from you, but then I realised how obnoxiously repulsive he was being, the awful things he was saying about you, and I couldn't hold back. I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologising? It's not your fault, you care about Louis." Zayn voiced, a voice that had been missing from the conversation for a good while.

Louis was still too stalled in shock to respond verbally. He couldn't fathom what was happening right now, the things he was being told, holding onto himself around the upper arms in comfort. Charlie was planning on... using him. Harry hadn't even meant to kill him. He wanted to protect Louis at all costs.

"But I wish I hadn't lashed out so much. I couldn't stop myself from just _strangling_ that sick fuck." Harry's voice shook slightly, and that spiked Louis' empathy. He wanted to go over and hug Harry, but he knew that his body still wasn't responding to the situation. Harry had strangled Charlie to death... for _him._

"I... understand." He slowly said, itching the back of his neck, idly. "It's a lot to take in, but... I get it. You were protecting me."

"Hate me if you want." Harry shrugged, defeatedly. "It's up to you. I just wanted you to know the real reason why."

Louis didn't realise he was shaking until he brought his hand up to to rake through his hair before quickly bringing it down to his side again. Harry had a hopeful look in his eye, mixed with evident unease, staring so intently at Louis.

"This is all so overwhelming."

"I can understand." Harry shrugged, picking at his nail. "I'm sorry. Again."

Louis pulled out his phone to check the time.

**00:02**

To Louis - From Niall: Happy new year kid!! May this one be better!!!!! Party timeeeeeeee :)))))

Louis smiled. "Happy new year."

Harry returned the smile, so sadly. "Happy new year."

"What an eventful start to 2018, right?" Zayn tried to make light of the situation, a stupid smile on his face. Louis wanted to say _'Zayn, somebody is dead and I was almost taken as a prostitute, what's so good about this?'_ but held it back.

"I like to think of a new year as wiping the slate clean," Harry mused, resting his head back against the door. "I wanted 2018 to be a good year for me. A fresh start, a fresh _me._ I've already ruined it." He shut his eyes and sighed.

"It's only just turned 2018," Louis reminded. "I know this is a really scary time right now, but I understand why you did it and... although it's really, _really_ overwhelming, I see your reasoning. You were taking care of me. I appreciate that."

"Nobody will find out it was me. I hope. And I destroyed his phone, that's gone." Harry informed them. "I took care of it, but I feel like _filth._ Knowing that I did that again really impacts me. I try to remind myself that I had good reason but it's still hard. I want to go over to the police station and expose their disgusting company but I know that then I might be linked to his disappearance somehow, if I complain about him."

That was true. Harry couldn't say a thing, he had to lay low. But Louis was feeling relieved that Charlie was off his back; out of his life. He was glad he knew now. Harry hadn't killed the innocent, he had killed somebody inconsiderate and money-driven. He had his reasons.

Now they just had to keep it a secret. It was a secret that Harry, Louis and Zayn were going to have to keep, held tightly against their hearts, never to be told. For Harry's sake. 

"Nobody will find out." Zayn seemed to read Louis' mind. "We will back you up, Harry. Nobody has to know."

Louis was effectively a witness of murder. He hadn't seen it happen, or course, but he had been given the long, real confession. He couldn't believe he was previously close to storming out of Harry's house and leaving him there with an untold reason, without giving Louis the information he so very needed. He felt awful for yelling at Harry, for calling him a psycho.

He may have been a bit damn psychotic, but he loved Louis all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better?????? Idkkkkk


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update isn't _too_ long - apologies. But it does contain a lot of information linked to Charlie.
> 
> Please note that I know barely anything about journalism, or the sort of job that Charlie was said to have had, and have very basic knowledge of law, so this isn't going to be 100% factual and realistic. But at least I tried to make it sound professional! Haha.

Louis lay awake that night for what felt like _hours_. In the pitch blackness, he could hear Zayn's heavy rhythmic breathing from where he lay asleep in a nearby makeshift bed. But there was no ounce of sound from Harry lying beside Louis in the bed. He wondered whether Harry had been awake too that night, staring up into the darkness, wondering the same about Louis. Neither of them uttered a single word.

Louis left early the next morning, at around eight o'clock, with a rather heavy heart: the feeling of a weight pressing down on his insides. There had been an inevitable tension hanging above the three of them before he had left, each of their brains trying to compute how to live normally again while they shared such a dark secret. Harry's secret.

On Louis' slow drive home, he spotted a handful of missing posters with Charlie's photograph printed on them, scattered around the city, helplessly pleading for anybody to get into contact if they had any information. **MISSING: PLEASE HELP.** Louis had plenty, which would be of a _lot_ of help to the police and Charlie's family, but he wasn't going to be sharing it. He couldn't.

 _Charlie._ He was physically gone, wiped off the face of the earth. It was strange, and Louis' weary brain was still trying to make sense of the fact that Harry had done him a _favour_ by wiping him out of existence. It was too surreal to understand so far. Louis was still adapting, he surely would be for a while.

He tried to fabricate the elation that his family showed him when he had walked through the door, showering them with _"Happy New Year"_ s and urging them that he didn't have any New Year's resolutions. Because he didn't, really. He didn't _want_ to have any, it would only weigh him down more by trying to achieve them. He sat with them all in the living room: Daisy and Phoebe sat on the floor at his feet, pretending to walk their Barbie dolls up his legs; Felicite and Lottie blabbering on about how happy they were with the Christmas presents he had bought them (again); Jay and Mark drinking their cups of tea.

"Did you hear about that poor boy in the news, Louis?" Jay sparked up all of a sudden, placing her teacup gently on a coaster. "Charlie, I think his name is."

Louis tried not to tense too much. He couldn't be obvious about this, despite the fact his family wouldn't suspect him anyway. He tried a convincing nod, with a sad smile.

" _Yeah,_ it's awful! Missing, isn't he?" He faked. He felt completely guilty, his paranoia screaming at him that they somehow knew he wasn't innocent in this. His paranoia was the awful thing here.

"Well, I reckon he's dead," Mark stated his opinion, bluntly. "Missing for four days now, is it? It isn't looking good."

Louis gently shook his head, swallowing desperately to relieve his stone-dry throat.

"It isn't, no. Let's hope they find something out soon."

 _Let's hope they_ don't.

"I can't imagine what his family are feeling. If that was you, Louis, _God,_ I wouldn't stop praying." Jay frowned, staring lovingly at him. "They must be heartbroken."

Louis wished this topic would be dropped, it was eating him alive. It was only the first real day of knowing the _real_ story of Charlie's demise, yet he was already beginning to crumble under the pressure. He didn't know how long he could take this, before he came completely undone and drove himself absolutely mad. It was reassuring that Zayn knew too, but it wasn't enough.

"Well, I'm here. I'm safe." Louis sighed, forging a smile. "No need to think about what you would do, I'm sure they'll find something out soon about Charlie."

Louis trudged up to his room shortly after their little heart-to-heart, falling face-down onto his bed and groaning into the pillow. The thoughts of Charlie were swirling around in his head, dying to escape, but they were just bouncing off the sides of his head and couldn't find a way out. No one could know.

* * *

To Louis - From Harry: I'm sorry for lying about my phone being broken too btw. I wanted to cut some contact with you while I sorted the Charlie situation out, my mind was too preoccupied ever since I found out the extra information about him. Love you, hope you're doing okay today .xx

Louis wasn't really doing okay, but he wasn't doing bad either. He was surviving, that's all he knew.

To Harry - From Louis: Okay Harry, you don't have to explain. I don't know how I'm doing today really.

To Louis - From Harry: Sorry.

Louis didn't bother replying. He was fed up with Harry's apologies, there was nothing more to apologise about. He had explained himself thoroughly enough, expressed deeply why he had done what he had, and that was all he could do for now. Louis would rather the topic be dropped completely, forever, so he decided he would try to steer clear of it from then on. It could stay confined within his conscious, never to make an appearance in the real world again.

**Over a week passed.**

Liam and Niall had both given their deepest condolences to Louis regarding Charlie's disappearance when they have returned to school on the 8th of January. He had put on that stupid act of false sadness, trying to drop a comment about how he'd rather not talk about it.

It was officially announced on the news that Charlie Dyer was _presumed dead_ on Wednesday the 10th of January, having been missing for thirteen days. Louis had been suffering so much, internally, whenever Charlie was mentioned at school. He wanted to scream what he knew at the top of his lungs.

On Sunday the 14th of January, Louis visited Harry's house. It was the first time they had reunited since New Year's, but it wasn't really the same. Harry didn't seem quite as taunted by the constant mentions of Charlie Dyer, as Louis was. His life seemed to be just as normal, as though nothing had changed. Louis knew that it was a front he was putting on.

Harry switched on the Sunday morning news, as though he was _hoping_ for a mention of Charlie, to either get more information for himself or to keep reinforcing it all to Louis, making him tired of hearing it so that it would start to matter less. Louis was curled up at Harry's side, his head resting on his shoulder and eyes trained on the television, _waiting._

 _"More information coming in this morning regarding Charlie Dyer, former Doncaster teen who was presumed dead earlier this week by officials,"_ Began the female presenter, hands clasped around the sheets of paper in her hands, similarly to how Harry's hands had been around Charlie's neck. _"We received word from an anonymous reference that Dyer was in fact a member of one of the UK's heaviest Drug and Prostitution rings, evidence coming in this morning after police flooded the scene of the organisation. Dyer's death has been presumably conclusive to this overruling former occupation."_

Louis raised his head to look at Harry, the side of his face, but Harry's eyes remained on the television screen. It had been proven. _Thank God._

_"An alarming number of teenage victims were forced into prostitution by Dyer's former company, with over two hundred to count, a large handful having tragically met their end after serving the organisation's hefty-paying customers, completely against their will. A tribute will be paid to all teens who lost their lives in this horrific scandal."_

Harry picked up the remote control and turned the television off completely, before calmly placing it back down.

"Thank you for saving me from that." Louis piped up, his heart still lightly hammering in his chest. "Over two-hundred victims, Harry. Was it you? Did you tip the police off about it?"

"It was Zayn," Harry stated, tilting his head aside to rest it atop of Louis'. "I can tell it was. I _know_ it was. He kept going on and on about it to me, how guilty he felt for knowing and not telling anybody. It had to be him. I did send him some information about the company when he asked, all the things I had found out online about it. The location, the highest members in the company, everything."

Zayn had been the one who had told the police about the former Prostitution ring Charlie had worked for. He had anonymously tipped them off, apparently, according to the news report, with all the information they needed to send officers over there.

"That's very good of him. And did you hear what they said about his presumed death? They've linked it conclusively to his job." Louis smiled slightly, patting Harry's knee.

"I don't feel like we'll get off that lightly I'm afraid," He shook his head, "They'll still be looking into it, looking for suspects."

Louis' stomach dipped suddenly as he was struck with a debilitating thought: what if he was somehow taken as a suspect? Harry had claimed to have destroyed Charlie's phone, but that surely hadn't wiped all of Charlie's text and phone conversations from the logs kept by the government. And Charlie's friends, they knew of Louis, he had probably told them that he had hung out with Louis.

Charlie may have been portrayed as a bit of a villain now, having been exposed for working for whom he did, but it didn't mean the police wouldn't interrogate some more to find the actual source of his death. They couldn't leave anything unturned now until they had a sufficient answer, some evidence to put on file, to completely lay it all to rest. Charlie may have been presumed dead just four days ago, but now that the law enforcement had a minor lead, they weren't going to stop until they got to the bottom of this.

Maybe they weren't off the hook just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Zayn really make things better by telling the police?


	54. Chapter 54

Louis could _sense_ over the next few days that Liam had caught onto something. Each time somebody in their class mentioned Charlie's disappearance, and Louis tensed the slightest bit, Liam seemed to turn _reflective._ He stared into space every time, which happened too often to be a coincidence. He was dying to say something to Louis about it, that was plain obvious.

It was hardly shocking that he had drawn a correlation between Charlie's presumed death and Harry. The fact that Harry had the _drive_ to kill was certainly not a secret to him, and things seemed to be adding up a little bit too much.

Niall was ranting about the disappearance over lunch, seemingly oblivious to the possibility that Harry really could have been behind it. What Niall was more focused on was the fact that Louis could have been taken victim by Charlie's former organisation. Louis appreciated Niall's concern, wholly, but he didn't quite appreciate the penetrating stare that Liam was giving.

"It seemed he disappeared at just the right time," Liam mused, tearing his eyes away from Louis and concentrating on ripping his sandwich apart. "Really convenient, huh? Right before you were supposedly going to be lured into his trap, he disappears off the face of the earth."

Niall looked dumbfounded, as though Liam had slapped some sense into him and caused him to wise up to the situation. He then fixed his gaze on Louis too.

"I don't know why you guys are staring at me. This has been really hard for me, you know, it's not like I know anything about where he is." Louis snapped, looking between his friends.

"You can trust us, Louis." Liam pacted, a sincerity behind his eyes. "If you, or... someone close to you... knew anything, we wouldn't tell the police. We'd support you."

It was out there now: Liam had drawn Harry into the picture. He had skidded around the real point but had pointedly told Louis that he could freely tell them what Harry had done. Louis glanced squarely at Liam, trying to convey without words what was on his mind. Liam seemed to take it in, slowly nodding.

"Harry?" He guessed, keeping the volume of his voice low. Louis dryly gulped, seeming to leave a vast hesitation before very slightly nodding - a nod that would have been missed if Liam had blinked. 

"Oh, _God._ " Niall groaned, running his hands slowly down his face. "Harry killed him?"

"Just shout it out, why don't you!" Louis sarcastically exclaimed. "There's more to it, there really is. He found out about the company Charlie worked for, he wasn't _planning_ on hurting him, it's just..." He trailed off when he ran out of an explanation.

"Are you going to tell the police? Yes? No?" Liam quizzed.

"No, obviously not." Louis said. "He'd get put behind bars. They'd do a whole background check on him, on his criminal record, and I'm pretty sure the incident where he accidentally killed another boxer is on there. Whether it was dismissed or not, they'll assume he's a deranged killer who will never be stopped."

"He... _isn't_ a deranged killer who will never be stopped?" Niall theorised, raising an eyebrow. Louis literally groaned aloud.

"Niall, you don't get it. He doesn't have a fucking intent to kill. I hope you'll come to understand that one day." Louis defended. Niall nodded in consideration but said no more. Liam was currently unreadable in the situation, hands pressed together on the tabletop now. He took a moment of reflection before speaking again.

"You do know, it's only a matter of time before the police question you, right? I mean, all of Charlie's friends knew you hung out with him, they're going to want as many suspects as they can _get_ if they want to find out what happened to him."

"I'm hoping it won't get to that. The investigation will be dropped if I lay low for long enough, maybe his friends won't even _remember_ me." Louis shrugged. He was lying to himself though; he knew he was very much remembered by them.

"How's Harry, anyway? It must be driving him _mad_ , what's happened. I can't imagine being in his position." Liam shook his head in disbelief.

"I can tell he's worried about everything. He's trying to remain calm whenever I'm with him, but I know he's scared." Louis sighed, sadly smiling. "Can't blame him, can you? All he was doing was defending me, he hadn't intended for it to go so far."

Louis twisted his ring around his middle finger: the ring that Harry had gotten him for Christmas. He hadn't removed it since, with the exception of showering, and treasured it completely. He wondered how Harry was doing at home on his own, what he was thinking. He wondered if Harry was striking those boxing pads harder when he went to his practices, just to relieve some of the frustration he had built up inside him.

"Your secret's safe with us, by the way," Niall wised up, finally allowing Louis some clarity. "We'll support you, Lou. Don't feel like you're alone in knowing what's happened."

Louis smiled with appreciation. It was calming to know that he, Harry, Zayn, Niall _and_ Liam knew of the real reason Charlie had disappeared, but unnerving all the same. All it took was one tiny slip-up if the police questioned any of them (not that any of them, aside from Louis, would be suspects anyway.)

Louis was still the one in the deepest of shit though.

* * *

It seemed that Harry missed Louis so much, he went to the greatest extent to see him.

Louis hadn't been responding to his messages, finding it best to switch off his phone and temporarily get away from the strain of his current situation. He knew that all he would get if he stayed active on his phone was a stream of texts from either Harry or his friends, mostly asking if he was alright. No, he was not - simple answer. 

It was late on a Thursday night, approaching half past ten, and Louis was reading a book that he had been given a couple of Christmases back, which had been collecting dust on his shelf before now.

Just as he was delving into the lives of the fictional characters within the book, he was thrown back into reality, and almost given a heart attack, when a heavy thudding sounded from behind his window's curtains. He dropped the book beside him on his bed, jumping to his feet rather warily and approaching the window. He drew open the curtains in one swift move, to find Harry, stood on top of the front porch of Louis' house, so he could reach his bedroom window.

Louis' eyes wildly widened, as he scrambled to open his window.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?!" He raged in whisper, hands splayed out in stupefaction.

"I am so glad I got the right room. Jesus Christ," Harry panted, wiping a layer of sweat from his head with the back of his hand. "Can I come in? Or?  
well... _climb_ in?"

"Not exactly! My entire family are home, you are crazy. Have you just forgotten what last happened when you were here?"

"They're not going to come into your room now, right? Please, let me in, it's freezing out here!" Harry wailed, showcasing it with a deep shudder and chatter of his teeth. Louis angrily exhaled before locking his hands around Harry's biceps, pulling him up as Harry stood on his tiptoes and tried to hoist his lanky frame through the window.

"Honestly, have you not thought about how you'll get out of here?" Louis grunted with the effort, and Harry managed to jump the rest of the way in and land on his feet.

"Hey, it's the first time I've been in your room." Harry grinned, seeming to completely block out Louis' previous question. "This is so cute!" He continued, while rushing over to a photo collection pinned to Louis' wall.

"Keep your voice down!" Louis hushed, vigilant of his family hearing and recognising Harry's voice through the thin walls.

"Sorry!" Harry whispered, still examining the photographs. His eyes landed on one in particular, and he turned his head to give Louis a smug yet quizzical look.

"You took a Polaroid of me sleeping?" He grinned, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh God," Louis groaned in embarrassment, "I forgot that was there. It's just a good thing my family aren't attentive enough to have noticed that."

"Aren't you a cutie, huh?" Harry breathed, moving to sit on Louis' bed. "So I'm staying over now, right?"

"You're not being serious, are you?" Louis let out a stark laugh. "Harry, somebody in my family will come in here in the morning and see you sleeping with me. Can you imagine how that would go down? Especially if it was my mum or Mark!"

"I'll set an alarm for six o'clock and be gone before they're awake. Please?" Harry begged, pouting out his lower lip. "Come on, Louis, I can't sleep on my own again. I keep waking up in the night shaking. And I know you'd like me here too, considering what we're both going through."

Louis hummed in thought, rolling his toes against the carpet beneath them. "Yeah."

"I'll set an alarm right now, yes?" Harry reassured, unlocking his phone and doing just as he said. "There, it's set for six. They'll never even know I was here."

"My bed's a single bed, this is going to be cramped." Louis laughed, noting that Harry was already too long-legged to comfortably sleep in such a bed.

"I just see an opportunity for more snuggling." He wiggled his eyebrows with a smirk, which was met by a roll of the eyes from Louis.

"You soppy thing. Let's go to bed."

* * *

Harry's phone alarm didn't seem to have woken Louis, because when his own alarm sounded at seven, Harry was already gone. The only thing left in his wake was an open window, like the departure of a lover in a fantasy movie. Louis felt relieved that Harry had stuck to his word and left, and found it deeply adorable that Harry had also left him to sleep soundly.

Louis got ready for small feeling reasonably happier. He may have been in one of the most difficult places at the moment, due to obvious circumstances, but having Harry in his bed the night before put a spring in his step. Felicite was staring at him over breakfast, an occasional _glare_ that Louis couldn't really ignore. Jay seemed not to have noticed, continuing too watch the morning news and pay no attention.

"What?" Louis mimed to his sister. She rose her eyebrows in response. Louis repeated the past mime, and Felicite pulled out her phone, conveying to Louis that she would text him what was up.

To Louis - From Fizzy: So I heard someone in your room last night.

Louis literally shut his eyes and tipped back his head in annoyance, before responding to the message.

To Fizzy - From Louis: Don't tell mum please :( i feel so bad.

To Louis - From Fizzy: It was Harry I'm guessing?

Louis gave her a long glance across the table, his way of saying yes without words.

To Louis - From Fizzy: I thought so. I won't tell, it's your life.....secret is safe with me

Yet another secret of Louis' being kept.

To Fizzy - From Louis: Thank you darling xx

* * *

It took over another week before Louis was questioned. He had began to think he had gotten away with it, that he had passed beneath their radar, but he was approached by an individual in uniform as he left his home on a Friday evening.

"Louis William Tomlinson?" The man coaxed. He was dressed formally, in a suit and tie, flaunting an authentication badge to express his authority to Louis.

"Yes, that's me." Louis was trying to remain calm, but his heart was threatening to explode in his chest and he wanted to run the other way. He figured being calm and responsive would be his best bet, but he was so scared.

"I'm Chief Inspector Davidson, from Doncaster Police department. Would you come with me? I would like to ask you a few questions regarding Mr. Charlie Dyer."

Louis couldn't turn and run now.

"Of course." He smiled. "I'd be happy to, Sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, good luck Lou.


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to stress to you, once again, that this may not be wholly accurate for an interrogation scene as I know not too much about it. But I hope it surpasses, considering this is fiction anyway :)

Louis was escorted to Doncaster Police Station in the back of Inspector Davidson's police car. If anybody he knew on the streets of Doncaster would have spotted him sat there, it would have been rather difficult to explain, inevitably, and definitely would have sent out the wrong message. His heart was throbbing in his chest but his face contradicted his nerves by remaining calm and unyielding. As they made the drive there, while Louis couldn't physically have _been_ more tense, he pulled out his phone and sent the speediest text message he ever had in his whole life... to Harry.

To Harry - From Louis: I'm being taken in for questioning Harry.

Louis glanced up in the rearview mirror, to see that Davidson's eyes were still concentrated on the road. Harry's reply was almost immediate, meaning Louis could check it without being on his phone for suspiciously long.

To Louis - From Harry: Okay Louis. Be careful. I love you .xx

Louis slid his phone back into his pocket before glancing up again, this time to see Davidson looking at him squarely, yet with a kindness in his eyes.

"Are you okay there, Mr Tomlinson?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Good." He smiled, professionally, as the car pulled into the car park of the station. "If you'll just follow me, that'll be great. You will be required to sign in at the reception desk, just a name, the time and a signature."

Louis hummed in agreement, trying the handle on the door to realise that it was _obviously_ locked from his side. Davison strolled round to his side of the car from outside, opening up the door with an amused grin.

"Do you really think these doors would be that easy to open from the inside?" He humorously scorned, extending an arm out to gesture his invitation for Louis to step out of the car.

"I guess I didn't really think about it." He replied, trying to keep the wavered tone from his voice. He hadn't realised how jelly-like his legs were until he was stood on the gravel of the car park.

"Follow me, Louis."

Louis did, clasping onto his left forearm awkwardly as he trailed behind the tall, broad man, whose brown hair was tinged with grey at the roots. Louis hopped up the seven steps at the building's entrance, while his hand wrapped tightly around the metal railing, and he wanted so badly to turn around and run away while Davidson wasn't looking. It was a stupid, irrational thought.

Davidson took Louis through the door labelled **'Staff Entrance'** opposed to the **'Public Entrance'** door, mentioning something about it being a more formal occasion. There was a welcoming gush of warm air fanning down above the main entrance door as they walked inside, and Davidson pointed to a clipboard which sat on the reception desk.

"Name, time and signature. The current time is twenty-seven minutes past eight in the evening." Davidson informed, clasping his hands behind his back as he waited for Louis to do as he was instructed. He tried not to let his hand shake as he scrawled out his name in capital letters, followed by the time and a quick scribble of his signature. "Okay, let's take you to room 307."

Louis kept his gaze down as he followed once again, feeling ultimately guilty in the eyes of everybody around him, despite this being just a questioning, and being generally innocent anyway. Davidson mumbled something to a colleague behind the front desk, something Louis really wanted to hear, before leading him down a corridor and stopping at a room along the right hand side.

It was a box-shaped, dreary grey room with a circular metal table and metal two chairs: exactly what Louis would have expected, from the past movies he had watched.

"Please take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" Davidson offered, hovering in the doorway as Louis perched himself on one of the uncomfortable chairs.

"Uh, no thanks."

Davidson huffed out a sigh as he took a seat opposite Louis, tucking in his chair so it squealed annoyingly against the floor. Louis had his hands held together in his lap beneath the table, sweat beginning to collect in his palms.

"So, let me get to know you a little bit. How old are you, Louis?"

"I recently turned eighteen."

Davidson hummed in interest. "Okay. And are you a student? Working?"

"I'm in sixth form, on my last year now."

Davidson was jotting down brief points down into a notepad, away from Louis' view. It was quite scrutinising to him.

"How's life at home?"

"Good, yeah, I think I've got a pretty good home life. But four sisters, so quite the drama most of the time."

"I can imagine," Davidson warmly smiled. "How did you know Charlie Dyer?"

The question came so quickly that Louis was sure it was a technique to try and get him to squirm a little bit. He stayed very tranquil and still, though, not missing a beat in his response.

"I'd say we were _acquaintances_ rather than friends, I only knew him for a month or so. Probably not even that."

Davidson wrote down the new facts, while humming aloud once again.

"Okay. So you may be unaware of this, as it wasn't something the media broadcast on the television, but two mornings ago investigators found a dismembered forearm in amongst the forest in Elmfield Park. The DNA found in it matched Mr. Dyer's. He has now been officially pronounced dead, on file."

Louis felt a dense shiver within him run from head to toe. _A dismembered arm._ Harry had tried to dispose of the body by completely taking it apart. And _for fuck's sake_ he had to go and leave some astray as evidence. Louis felt so sick. This all felt too surreal.

" _God,_ " He breathed, lightly shaking his head, "It's horrific."

"It _is_ , Louis. Where were you between the hours of nine and eleven on the morning of the 28th of December?"

Louis had remembered spending that entire day with his family at home, all while his phone was in his bedroom awaiting a text from Charlie that would never come.

"I spent that whole day with my family, so I was at home." Again, Louis left some simple, natural hesitation, realistically considering his response. Davidson kept up with the jotting down of notes.

"And your family would favour this alibi?"

"Yes."

Davidson placed the notebook and pen down onto the tabletop, pushing back his chair and rising to his feet. He strolled over to a filing cabinet in the corner of the room, flicking through its contents, and Louis was on edge as to what he was searching for. For some reason, his brain was telling him that Davidson would pull out some contradictory evidence to what he had provided, but it was impossible. He was telling the complete truth about being with his family.

Davidson returned with a few sheets of paper, once again sitting down and stacking the pieces or paper into a formal pile.

"Mr Dyer's phone itself couldn't be traced, but we have every phone call and text message that was sent from his device, including a conversation with you, Mr. Tomlinson."

 _Shit._ Louis couldn't remember half the conversation, which made this even more unnerving.

"Okay." He responded calmly anyway.

"I know it's embarrassing, having your personal life invaded, but we have done this with the individuals we interviewed before you as well. You're not the only one, I can assure you." That made him feel better, others were suspects too. 

Davidson continued. "The first text message was exchanged on the 17th of December by Charlie. It read: 'Hi, Louis, it's Charlie. How are you doing?' You responded with a much longer message: 'Hi Charlie, I'm doing great thanks. Thanks again for the other night, I feel like I was a bit awkward afterwards and I apologise for that. I'm sure I enjoyed it, despite how intensely drunk I was.' Can you explain this a bit more for me?"

Louis was cringing _and_ worrying as he listened. He couldn't take this, but he had no choice.

"We got rather drunk the first night of meeting and engaged in... sexual activity."

"Which isn't at all surprising for Dyer, considering his past occupation. The next significant load of texts were exchanged on the 19th, just nine days before Charlie's disappearance. He asked you if you would like to meet up sometime, you responded asking whether you could organise it at a better time. Do you remember why you said this?"

Louis immediately remembered that he had been at Harry's house when he had sent that, and Harry's jealousy was preventing him from replying fully. He couldn't say this though.

"I believe I was out shopping with my sisters, so I couldn't text." He lied. His first lie. But he had learnt to lie well, from his years of drama and theatre in school. Davidson was convinced nonetheless.

"Charlie later went on to say he couldn't believe a guy like you is single, to which you said you're looking for the right person. Charlie asked whether that could be him, and you replied saying maybe. Were you at all aware that Charlie was using charm as a baiting technique?"

"I had no idea he worked for such a company when I knew him. I found out when I saw it on the news."

"That is understandable, Mr. Tomlinson. Dyer then continued the conversation by sending the following: 'I hope so. I would like to take you out for dinner, to kind of apologise for fucking you straight away.' You agreed to the offer, which expresses to me that you fell for his charm. Did this meal ever happen?"

Louis was almost completely holding his breath, tense and humiliated by the messages being read. He hated it, every second.

"No. But I ran into Charlie in Frenchgate Shopping Centre on the 21st, I believe, where he tried again to organise a dinner reservation."

"And I can see from the future texts that this was organised further. Now, this is where I believe it gets interesting, Louis. You received a text on the 26th of December where Charlie asked again about a dinner reservation which was scheduled for the 27th, just a day before his initial disappearance. You stated you'd rather meet as friends. Did anything change this state of mind?"

_Harry Styles. Always._

"Change of heart." Louis shrugged.

"All right. Now, you met for a walk in the park on the 27th." Davidson continued, before trailing off in thought. The silence was killing Louis, he felt completely exposed to Davidson's scrutiny. "Mr. Tomlinson, who is Harry?"

Louis felt like his insides shut down. Shit. SHIT! Harry had been brought up now. All Louis could do was play it off coolly.

"Sort of an on-and-off boyfriend."

"Interesting. The messages tell me that this Harry individual was present when you and Mr. Dyer were at the park. I am curious to know more about this part of one of your messages, whilst referencing to Harry: 'He's just a very jealous guy, I guess. I'm sorry about the stress.' Am I right in supposing there was some conflict during this meetup?"

Oh God. Louis felt useless now. Mentioning to Charlie that Harry was a 'very jealous guy' was probably one of the worst moves he could have made.

"Nothing too bad, just some tension."

"And you were in a sexual relationship with Harry around the same time as you slept with Mr. Dyer, I believe? Is your relationship with Harry polyamorous?"

"By no means. I was just irresponsible. I shouldn't have gotten close with Charlie while I was with Harry. He had the right to be jealous." Louis expressed, trying to defend Harry in every which way.

"You have realised your fault, Louis, yes. You told Mr. Dyer that you were single. The final message he ever sent back to you mentioned being angry and confused, sent on the night of the 27th, and all that follows this are a stream of texts from you in which you believe he is ignoring your messages, when in fact he had been killed."

Louis swallowed, dryly. "Yes."

Davidson took a deep breath, processing everything that had been said, while Louis tried hard to control his heart. It had been beating erratically since Harry's name had been brought up.

"Louis, are you aware of what Harry was doing on the morning of the 28th?"

Louis wanted to disintegrate. He wanted the ground to swallow him whole. This was going the completely wrong way to what he had hoped.

"I believe he was at a boxing class." Louis strategically brought up, it being the first thing that sprang to mind. "He does boxing in the morning."

Davidson's face fell slightly in thought. "What's Harry's surname, Louis?"

"It's Styles." Louis defeatedly said, wiping his sweat-coated palms up his jeans.

"Harry Styles. Boxing. That definitely rings a bell."

Well fuck. They knew Harry, very well, from his past. Sure, they were unaware of the killing of his father, but they knew of his inability to control himself before ending a boxing opponent's life.

Louis hummed in agreement, a deflated hum that expressed he had no more to say.

Davidson filled the silence. "Styles has a tendency towards violence, as I can remember. His story has been one of our most controversial, in the thirty years I've been working here."

"I believe he got too passionate in that match. He loves boxing, it's his life. He simply couldn't restrain himself." Louis tried.

"Yes, I am well aware of that. He's a very powerful individual..." Davidson nodded to himself. "I'd like to let him know that we'll be taking _him_ in for a questioning too, as soon as possible."

 _Fuck._ Louis felt absolutely defeated, like he had completely let Harry down. The whole plan was foiled. Harry could get caught.

Deep down, Louis knew how capable Harry would be with getting away with this, even after an interview. He was mentally stronger than anybody knew.

"Okay." Louis responded.

"By no means are we targeting you _or_ Mr. Styles here. You are both just two of eleven individuals we are interrogating, and our prime suspect as it stands is Mr. Anthony Bridges, the head operator of Mr. Dyer's former, more _controversial_ place of work."

There was a prime suspect. Louis felt slightly more reassured. The fact that Zayn had tipped the police off was all starting to come into play now: they were considering Charlie's death as something linked to this occupation. Maybe Harry would just manage to pass below their radar. Maybe.

"Well, Louis, I'd like to thank you for your time this evening. It has been very useful for us, and we will be in contact with any additional information. In the meantime, we urge you to restrain from discussing any of the matters from today with Harry Styles. We want his answers to our questions to be completely honest and non-biased. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, Sir."

Ha, no. Louis was going to run through everything with Harry, from start to finish. They needed to plan all of this out, what Harry was going to say, and maybe it could work out. Maybe.


	56. Chapter 56

The moment Louis left the police station, after politely refusing a lift home from Inspector Davidson, he waited until he was a couple of streets away before pulling out his phone and calling Harry. He sat down on a bench at the side of the road, bobbing one of his legs up and down in coldness, impatience and perturbation. The call only had to ring through a couple of times before Harry picked up.

"Hello?" Harry's voice was rushed, frantic almost, as though he had been waiting for Louis to contact him after the interrogation.

"Hi, Harry. Are you free? Could you come and pick me up, please?" Louis queried, wrapping his jacket tighter around himself with his free hand as the chilling wind hit him harder.

"Yeah, of course. It's dark out, you shouldn't be out alone now. Where are you?"

"I'm sat on a bench down Pemberton Grove. It's freezing and I'm stressed out." Louis gritted, his shoulders tense from keeping them as close as possible to the sides of his neck. He could hear movement from Harry's side of the call.

"I'm just leaving my place now," He rushed, the sound of a pair of keys audible, and the shutting of a door. "I'll be there as quick as possible, okay?"

"Thank you."

Harry hurried a quick 'bye' before ending the call. Louis slid his phone into his pocket and breathed into his cupped through pursed lips to warm them up, rubbing them together frantically. It was eerily dark around him, with just a lamppost above the bench to cast a glow around the area in which he was sat. The occasional car sped by towards the exit of the street, but all in all it was extremely quiet and lonely.

Harry's recognisable car rolled into the close about six minutes later, the headlights blinding Louis as the vehicle approached before stopping in front of him. Louis jumped up from the bench, thankful to see him, jogging up and getting in. Harry's car was delightfully heated, immediately relieving Louis' tense body, and the beautiful smell of Harry's aftershave lingered in the air.

"You alright?" Harry greeted, waiting for Louis to shut the door before looking over his shoulder and reversing the car to perform a U-turn.

"Absolutely great." Louis sarcastically replied. "Sorry for acting moody, I just feel really shit."

"What happened, then? You're worrying me, if I'm being honest." Harry's voice turned stern, adding a thorough seriousness to the situation suddenly. Louis deeply sighed, deciding to put it simply.

"They want to take _you_ in for questioning soon."

Harry probably came near to crashing the car as he processed what Louis had said. His hands tightened around the wheel, jaw locking slightly.

"They _what?_ "

"They looked through my texts with Charlie. I mentioned you at some point in them, I was trying to be brief, but one thing led to another and he wants you in as soon as possible. I'm really sorry, it's my fault."

"It's not your fault." Harry sighed, giving Louis a quick reassuring, yet forced, smile. "It'll all be okay, I promise."

"You're going to go then?"

"There's nothing more I can do, is there? It'd be suspicious for me to avoid it." Harry stated. "I'll handle it."

Louis reached a hand over to stroke soothingly down Harry's forearm, which strained as he held onto the steering wheel in front of him. "You're going through so much."

There was a hint of a smile on Harry's face, the smallest smile broke through the tense expression he wore previously, soothed by the touch.

"It's my fault for killing Charlie, isn't it?"

"You were protecting me. Don't burden yourself with it."

"I can't help it. But we will be fine, they won't find out a thing." Harry assured him.

"What if they look at your text conversation with me?" Louis worried suddenly, the thought hitting him like a ton of bricks. "We've said so much that would be suspicious!"

"They'd need a warrant to look at our texts. They could only look at yours with Charlie because he's dead, Louis." Harry explained, as the car pulled up outside Louis' house. "Don't worry about it. I'll work this all out."

Louis unplugged his seatbelt, leaning over to give Harry a kiss on the cheek. "Okay. Let me know when they contact you. I can message you some of the questions they asked me."

"Just remember that I'm going to do and say all I can to get away with this. But we both know things can't always go our way. If they catch onto anything, and take me in, I want you to know that I don't expect you to wait for me."

_"Harry,"_

"I mean it, Louis. If they take me to prison, it would be at least twenty-five years before they even consider parole. And that may not even be granted." Harry was looking Louis directly in the eye, whose eyes sparkled back with sorrow.

"They're not going to find out, though. _Are_ they?" He delved, stroking his thumb over Harry's hand.

"No." Harry whispered, before a small smile showed. "They're not."

"I love you." Louis reminded, before he leant over once again, attaching his lips to Harry's this time. They gently kissed for a few moments, before Harry broke it.

"I love you, too. I'll let you know when they contact me."

Louis left Harry's car shortly after, heading into his house and hurrying upstairs before his parents could question where he'd been. He took his time to take a proper breather once he was alone in his bedroom, lying on his back on his bed.

Was Harry _really_ going to be able to handle a questioning? He knew in the depths of his mind that he was guilty, yet he was going to sit there for however long it took, convincing them of his fabricated innocence. Louis knew, from what Davidson had said himself, that Harry was very much known by the police -- his case had been named the most controversial since Davidson had first become an officer. He just hoped with all of his heart that Harry would be treated fairly, that they wouldn't question him with his previous crime in mind.

Louis just really didn't want his Harry taken away from him, however much he deserved it.

* * *

Louis sent Harry a thorough listing of every generic question he could remember being asked, but deep down knew it wouldn't be absolutely procedural: Davidson was almost certain to switch up the questions, just for the sake that Louis _could_ tell Harry beforehand.

Sadly, he had experience that Harry knew how to lie from the past - he seemed to be able to do it naturally. And his ability to come up with things on the spot, improvising his answers, was something that would definitely come in handy. Harry didn't easily crumble under pressure.

But one of the tiniest, most miniscule slip-ups, and they'd be onto him. He had to tread so incredibly carefully if he wanted to get away with something so dire.

Liam and Niall were supportive as ever, constantly reminding Louis that they would never utter a word about it to anybody else. Zayn was stressed, severely, and Louis heard from Harry that he had turned to heavy drinking again. Louis wished he was close enough with Zayn to support him properly, but it just didn't feel like his role. It was clear how much Harry meant to Zayn, so finding out that he had done something like this again, despite the reasoning, was proving very difficult. Similarly to Louis, he just wanted Harry to be _normal,_ like everybody else.

 

The police contacted Harry two days later in regards to a questioning. It was a different way than how they'd approached Louis, giving Harry a call and scheduling a time the next day instead. Perhaps they hadn't been able to track him down beforehand.

Louis felt severely sick to his stomach. Everything that could possibly go wrong began surfacing in his mind, and for a moment he really wanted nothing more than to jump into his car and never stop driving, to some place far away. The only thing that deterred him from doing this was his love for Harry (and, well, sanity.) The whole thought process leading up to Harry's interview was proving lethargic on his mind: he was mentally drained. He couldn't sleep the night before. He phoned Harry at seven the morning of the questioning, running over everything again with him, from top to bottom.

He hoped Harry was ready now.

* * *

Harry seemed to have raked his hands through his hair countless times as he sat in his parked car, in a spot close to the entrance of Doncaster Police Station. He was trying to persuade himself to leave the warm, concealing confinements of his car, considering it was one minute to eleven that morning, and he was expected in just sixty seconds.

"Stupid _fucking_ police," He muttered to himself, shaking his head in detest, "Fucking hate them. Wish I could kill them. All of them."

_Time to put on a happy, humane face, Harry._

He tried to envision Louis' face in his head: the only thought that could provoke a natural smile. Then he opened the car door and jumped out, slamming it behind him and locking the car behind him, effortlessly slipping the keys into his front pocket. He hopped quickly up each of the steps before confidently striding through the doors of the general public entrance.

He received a double take from the aging woman behind the reception counter, who he recalled was named Susan. He saw it: a double glance that she tried to play off as natural. She put on a rather pretentious smile as she stacked together some papers.

"Harry Styles?"

"That's me." He cheerfully shot back, pulling out his phone to check the exact time: _11:00._ "Exactly on time."

He scribbled his name, the time and a quick signature before dropping the pen down.

"I'll let Inspector Davidson know you're here." Susan informed. "If you'd like to just take a seat for now, you're very welcome to."

Harry headed for the beige, faux-leather chairs in the waiting area, settling for the third one along, resting his arms along the backs of the ones to his left and right while crossing his left ankle over his right knee. He could hear Susan calling through to Davidson, muttering Harry's name and something else inaudible, before she placed the phone back down with an overly loud, plastic-y sound. Harry hated it. He hated _her_ , and everybody else in this station - whether or not he knew them personally. He just hated them anyway.

He winced at the sudden, loud sound of a door opening from further into the building, and a moment later Inspector Davidson strolled out, arms locked behind his back in authority, eyes locked on Harry with a small smile.

"Harry. Long time no see. Two years it's been, yes?" Davidson greeted, approaching Harry starkly. Harry stood up all of a sudden, stretching his arms out in front of him, and he'd be lying if he said Davidson didn't look slightly vigilant when seeing both Harry's height and his protruding biceps -- as much as a Chief Inspector shouldn't have been. "And you've certainly grown up more since last time."

"So have you, Inspector Davidson." Harry smiled sweetly, despite the subtle dig at Davidson's greying hair at the roots. "Anyway, don't you have some questions for me?"

"Indeed." Davidson claimed, clearing his throat. "Follow me."

Harry did just that, leaving Susan the receptionist with a lingering, almost _alluring_ glance before following Davidson through a set of double doors. He ignored everything Davidson was blabbering on about, picking up lightly on something about how many people they'd already interviewed. Harry yawned, out of sight from the Inspector, having gotten a rude awakening four hours earlier from a worried Louis.

Harry didn't hesitate to sit himself down on one of the two metal chairs, watching as Davidson sat in the other, across from him. He then became aware of another individual stood in the room, another officer, who stood in the corner of the room with a ready and professional stance. Harry's eyes remained on him for a moment before darting to rest on Davidson again.

"Sergeant Carter will be assisting today with the security of our interview, Harry." Davidson informed.

"Because you think I'm _dangerous?_ " Harry assumed, realising he shouldn't push it too much. "I'm not, I can assure you."

_Lies. He was the killer._

"Not at all. It's a procedural thing. Anyway, let's get into the questions." Davidson rubbed his hands together. Harry wanted to grab those scheming hands and smash a fist down onto them on the tabletop. "You're eighteen now, I am assuming?"

"Nineteen next month."

"Do you still do boxing?"

Harry sighed, more to himself than anybody else. "Yes."

"What time of day would you say you typically attend your boxing practices?"

Harry immediately recalled what Louis had told him that morning, _"I told him that you were at boxing class the morning of the 28th, when Charlie went missing."_

"Mornings, usually."

Davidson made note of it in his notepad, nodding along.

"And how did you know Charlie Dyer?"

The tensing of Harry's body was invisible. He refrained from making it prominent.

"I didn't know him personally. But my boyfriend... did." Harry hesitated, jaw locking as jealousy set in.

Louis had fucked Charlie. That still hadn't sunk in.

"I'm assuming you're referring to Louis Tomlinson as your boyfriend? He mentioned that you're his _on-and-off_ boyfriend." Davidson mentioned. Harry hated that.

"I guess you could call it that. But our relationship isn't really much to do with the murder of Charlie."

"I hadn't mentioned a murder yet, Harry. Charlie has only been publicly announced _presumed_ dead." Davidson caught on. Harry wanted to punch himself. "It's not good to assume before you're provided with a statement informing you so."

"Well, it's what everybody _else_ is assuming. I've heard it circulating around town, people reckoning it's murder." Harry saved it, playing with his thumb on the tabletop.

"Where were you on between the hours of nine and eleven on the morning of the 28th of December?" Came Davidson's leading question. Harry already had this planned out. He knew not to be too thorough, as it could be viewed as suspicious.

"The 28th..." He trailed off in false thought. "I was at boxing then. I started at half past nine that morning."

"Harry, I'd like to show you an image that was provided by one of Charlie's closest friends." Davidson informed him, pulling out a remote control from within a drawer in the table in front of him. He clicked a button, turning on the television that was adjoined to the wall to the right of the table.

Immediately, a photograph came into view as the pixels cleared. It seemed to have been shot from a mobile phone, and had been taken from afar, showing Charlie and Louis stood rather _close_ to one another, both of them holding a drink.

"As you've probably worked out, the individual on the right is your boyfriend, Louis. On the left is Charlie Dyer," Davidson claimed, eyes focused on Harry's reaction. "How does this photograph make you feel?"

Harry's insides were swimming with jealousy. He wanted to stand up and punch the living daylights out of the television screen, until the lights within it were distorted and broken. The proximity between Louis and Charlie had him seething on the inside, but he ultimately kept this hidden on the surface.

"Well, very jealous." Harry remained calm, voice level. "As I'd be expected to."

"I am well aware that you were rather envious of Louis' intimate relations with Charlie." Davidson said, switching off the television once again with the remote control. "And also of your past. Do you still have trouble with restraining your violence?"

"No." Harry stated, hands tensing into fists in his lap, beneath the tabletop.

"Is there anything we _don't_ know about you, Harry?"

_'I killed my father.'_

"My favourite colour? Favourite movie? My first word?" Harry mocked, probably at the wrong time. "And if you're referring to any unknown crimes, there are none."

"We are trying to find a killer. You have killed in the past, whether or not it was accidental, and you are linked to Charlie Dyer through your boyfriend's known sexual relationship with him. We are not being biased, however you can see why we are entitled to speculation."

"I understand that."

"Am I looking at Charlie's killer right now, Mr. Styles?" Davidson mused, eyebrows furrowed, glare hard against Harry's. Harry stared right back, not too intensely, holding back slightly.

"No," He sternly shook his head, "You're not. But I really hope you find whoever did this so they get the punishment they deserve."

Davidson nodded, trying a genuine smile. "As do I, Harry. So can I end this questioning with the confirmation that you did not track down Mr Dyer on his way home from work, maliciously kill him, and dismember his body?"

Harry certainly had done that. And, shamefully, had enjoyed it. He enjoyed killing the man who was out to hurt Louis.

"That is correct, Sir. I did not do such things as you listed."

Davidson cleared his throat as he jotted some more notes down, before he clicked the pen and placed it down atop of the notepad.

"Okay, Mr. Styles. Just to let you know, we were audio recording this interaction for further evidence, similarly to each of the other individuals we have questioned prior to today. We will certainly be in touch with any further information, and will schedule any further interrogations, if we so need to."

"I'll have my phone on loud."

Davidson stood up, and Harry mirrored it, appreciatively shaking Davidson's hand which was offered. Harry had used that hand, along with his left, to strangle Charlie Dyer to death.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Styles." There was a false sense of cheer behind Davidson's tone, a shrill joyfulness that Harry couldn't have hated more if he tried. It was almost used sarcastically, as though he was singling Harry out.

"Thank you. You too."

Harry signed out of the building shortly after, offering Susan a wink without knowing what he was getting out of that, before trudging out to his car and jumping in, slamming the door _hard_ behind him.

"FUCK!" He yelled, slamming a fist onto the steering wheel, his thunderous rage safely cased within the soundproofed shell of his car. He caught his breath a moment later, trying to emotionally gather himself. He had been bottling up his lividity the moment he had left his car.

He didn't know how the questioning went. He wanted to say it went well, but the sarcasm and monotone ring in Davidson's tone contradicted it. He was completely in the dark as to whether he would really get away with this.

But he was determined to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a plan in mind. I'm not sure if it will work and I am so skeptical over it!!! I feel mean for doing it (no character deaths or anything stupid like that) because idk... I just don't know HAHA.


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a long chapter tonight :)

Louis had been texting Harry non-stop all afternoon, since eleven that morning, even as he was sat in hus classes at school, painfully intrigued as to what had happened. He couldn't take the anticipation.

To Harry - From Louis: Harry what happened?

To Harry - From Louis: Is everything okay? Please reply to me.

To Harry - From Louis: For crying out loud, it's been three hours now!! Are you just ignoring me or has something happened.

And as if being on edge about the whole scenario with Harry wasn't enough, Louis had Eleanor pestering him throughout his English class last period. She seemed to be fixed on blabbering on to him about how much they had recently 'drifted apart', and how they had stopped talking - which for Louis was a blessing, but hell for her.

"How long's it been since I properly spoke to you?" Eleanor mused, turned around in her chair to face Louis, who had no choice but to sit behind her in the class seating plan. He'd rather sit outside in the cold, alone.

He shrugged in response, continuing to scribble down notes from the whiteboard, trying to crane his neck around her to see what their teacher was writing up.

"I don't want us to drift apart, Lou, I reckon we're quite good friends." She smiled, before hearing their teacher clear his throat suddenly to catch her attention, so she thankfully twisted to face the front again.

"If that." Louis muttered his reply, despite only the quiet girl sat next to him hearing, nobody else. Eleanor seemed not to possess the general filter that told her Louis was _not_ interested. That he liked boys. And even if he _did_ like girls, loud girls like her most likely wouldn't be within the category of those he'd actually date. Never.

Louis felt his phone buzzed in his pocket, so it emitted a loud vibration against the plastic chair, and he received a few glances from his classmates (including Eleanor, who used it as yet another excuse to look at him with a smile.) He didn't care for their stares, he simply cared for the fact it could possibly be Harry. He slipped his phone out of his pocket beneath the table, unlocking it secretly.

To Louis - From Harry: Everything is fine. Wanna come to Zayn's with me after school????????????? .xx

Louis rolled his eyes, both at the exaggerated use of question marks and the fact that he had replied with three simple words to Louis' constant, frantic questioning: 'everything is fine.' And why would he want to go to Zayn's place? That would surely just be awkward. He risked typing out a reply, speedily, while his teacher was busy facing the board again.

To Harry - From Louis: Why would I randomly come to Zayn's with you? Xx

He set his phone in his lap as he caught up with the notes he had missed, copying some off the girl next to him when she wasn't looking, before looking to read Harry's reply.

To Louis - From Harry: Because Zayn's a cool guy. If I'm being honest with you Louis, I think he just needs some company right now. He's in a bad place again and he's told me in the past that he feels comfortable around you .xx

Louis found himself smiling. He felt reasonably comfortable around Zayn too, for the most part, but he didn't know how good he'd be at soothing Zayn's woes. Besides, Harry had mentioned Zayn's sudden urge to heavily drink again, and he had no idea how to nurture that. A pat on the back? A reassurance that everything was going to be okay? Probably not.

To Harry - From Louis: Well okay. Was this his idea or yours? Xx

His phone buzzed quieter in his lap, _less_ similar to the volume of a literal rocket launch.

To Louis - From Harry: Mine. But I know he'll appreciate it. Please? Love you .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Yes okay. Love you too xx

To Louis - From Harry: Thanks babe. How about I pick you up from school?? 3? .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Yeah okay xx

He wasn't exactly looking forward to invading Zayn's personal space with Harry. Sure, Harry was close enough to Zayn to go barging into his house, but Louis didn't feel massively comfortable with being the tag-along. The fact that Zayn was one of those aware of the Charlie incident should have brought Louis closer to him, made them all a unit, but as of now Zayn was still pretty intimidating to him. Just a bit.

Louis was more than thankful when the clock dragged it out to the end of the day, slamming his notebook shut conclusively before his teacher even dismissed them. He needed to get the hell out of there before Eleanor was on his tail. All he had to do was bid Niall and Liam farewell, then rush out to Harry's car. But, obviously, it wasn't that easy of a plan.

"Louis!" Came her shrill voice down the corridor, which Louis was trying to hurry his way down as inconspicuously as humanly possible. He glanced back briefly but ignored her, hoping that would showcase the fact that he was listening yet still not bothered. 

"Louis, you silly boy, wait up!"

Hint not taken, clearly. He stopped in his tracks with a defeated huff, standing still and waiting for her to catch him up. He felt like a piece of prey awaiting the arrival of its devilish predator.

"Why are you running from me?" She giggled, placing a hand on his bicep. "I'm not doing anything wrong, am I?"

_Yes._

"I just don't appreciate the flirting, Eleanor. Sorry for being rude." He shrugged, politely removing her hand from where it held him.

"Oh..." Eleanor trailed off, a look of scorn on her face. "So... you're _not_ interested in me?"

"No. Sorry."

"But _Niall_ told me you were." She claimed.

"In which case, I will be sure to strangle him." 

Stupid Niall, he was always inconveniencing Louis and playing it off as a joke. Eleanor said no more, pouting madly before turning back in the direction she'd come from. _Finally,_ she would leave him alone. He made managed to drill he message into her thick skull. But he was surely going to give Niall a piece of his mind - other time, when Harry wasn't waiting for him in the car park.

He was parked just round the corner from the school, looking as though he was fiddling with the radio in his car as Louis approached. He did a double take upon spotting Louis, then managed a warm smile.

"Hi." Louis greeted as he jumped into the vehicle, slamming the door behind him. Harry finished messing with the dials in his car once he found a decent station, turning his attention to Louis.

"Hello, gorgeous. I'm sorry for ignoring you all day, I've mainly been sleeping. The interrogation wore me out." Harry apologised, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

_Damn, Harry looked really good today, despite being tired and groggy._

"It's fine," Louis dismissed, with a shrug. "I'm just glad you think it went okay."

He could see Liam and Niall turning the corner from the school, walking in the direction of Harry's car. He didn't feel too bad about hitching a ride with Harry, considering they had all walked to school today anyway. Liam's eyes flicked up to see Louis sat in the car, then to Harry. And to Louis' surprise, Liam smiled brightly at Harry and waved for a good two seconds. Harry lifted his hand in a returned wave, smiling back himself, and Louis felt warned by that. Even Niall acknowledged Harry positively, a hint of a grin on his face. They probably knew how stressed Harry was, considering what he was going through, and wanted him to feel like he had people who could happily tolerate him.

"Should I give them a lift?" Harry offered, pointing a thumb out behind the car now, as Louis' friends had passed by already. Louis knew that maybe giving them a lift would be pushing it.

"Nah, they're alright walking. They said they were going to stop at the corner shop anyway." Louis lied, knowing it was better put this way than _'they'd feel awkward, don't bother.'_

"You're the boss." Harry sighed, twisting the keys in the ignition so the car shook to life. He looked in the rearview mirror before safely turning out onto the road.

Louis took the opportunity to take a proper look at Harry. There was something about the way he'd styled his hair, effortlessly, it seemed, like he had run his hands through it in the mirror for a moment before he left his place. And the tight black t-shirt he wore gripped _just right_ to his slim torso, his biceps flexed from the arms as he held onto the steering wheel and gearstick. He was biting idly on his lower lip, eyes squinted in concentration. Harry really was a piece of art.

Faintly into the car, _Pocketful of Sunshine_ by Natasha Bedingfield started playing on the radio. Harry immediately turned it up, while calling out _"tuuune!"_

He began cheesily singing along as the chorus turned on, drumming his hands on the steering wheel.

_"Take me awaaay, a secret plaaace, a sweet escaaape, take me awaaay!"_

Louis was observing with a massive grin, appreciating the sound of Harry's voice ringing out into the car, and the way he looked so blissful when singing.

"Come on, Louis, join in!" He urged, dropping a smile and glance his way. Louis rolled his eyes, feeling he had no choice, joining Harry in belting out the next chorus. Their voices seemed to mix quite perfectly, and Harry dropped halfway through it to fondly listen to Louis. He had a stupid, amused smile on his face, which made Louis stop and slap his arm.

"What? Don't laugh at me!"

"Louis, you're good!" Harry defended, wide eyes and frantic nodding expressing his truthfulness. "Seriously, you've got a nice voice!"

"Well... thanks." Louis blushed, pretending to itch his eyes to block the pink hue that had tinged his face.

"Anytime, babycakes." Harry smugly grinned, continuing to sing the rest of the song to himself.

"How far to Zayn's?" Louis interrupted.

"Probably about fifteen minutes from here."

"That's faaar!" Louis complained. "I don't know if I can tolerate your karaoke for that long."

"You fucking _love_ it." Harry sassed, running a hand slowly through his hair. Both what he had said, paired with the action, sparked arousal in Louis' stomach. It never took much for Harry to turn Louis on, and right now probably wasn't the best of times. He glanced Harry's way once again, watching him singing along to a new song on the radio, blatantly misinterpreting most of the lyrics, and he couldn't be more in love.

His eyes wandered down Harry's body once again. The slim, lean torso, muscular arms, long legs. Louis wanted him. Right now, he just _wanted_ him. He reached his hand over to rest on Harry's inner thigh all of a sudden, immediately ceasing Harry's singing.

"Louis," Harry scolded, "No touching the artwork."

_Literally._

"I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm allowed to touch you, am I not?" Louis smirked, gliding his hand up and down Harry's thigh.

"Well, yes, but not when I'm driving."

"Shame." Louis huffed, moving his hand up to rest on Harry's crotch.

"Looouis," Harry whined, trying to brush Louis' hand off, playfully. "I'll crash the car!"

Louis returned his hand anyway, this time slowly palming it over Harry through his clothes. He heard Harry breathe steadily from his nose, restraining from verbally expressing how much he wanted this. Louis sped the motion up, with more friction, and Harry huffed out a groan while smiling defeatedly and shaking his head.

"See? No harm done."

"Keep doing that." Harry's mind had changed now that he felt how good it was. 

Louis did exactly as he was told, rolling the heel of his hand down over Harry's crotch. Harry sighed out a moan, his hips lifting slightly from his seat to increase the friction, and Louis grinned to himself to feel Harry's hardening beneath his touch.

"I love how nobody can see you doing that from outside the car," Harry breathed a laugh, "Nobody knows how naughty you're being, Lou."

"Or how hard you're getting." Louis teased, as they pulled up to a red light. Harry frantically unbuttoned his jeans and unfastened his belt when the car was stopped, pulling down his zip to expose his underwear more. 

There was an evident bulge outlined within his jeans already, merely from Louis' touches, and he winced with the relief of Louis pulling his dick out the top of his underwear. He moaned low and gravelly in his throat as Louis began slowly jerking him off, using his thumb to spread over some pre-cum from the tip. Harry was so preoccupied by the pleasure Louis was giving him, that he almost stalled the car when light turned green again.

"Fuck," He breathed, shifting into the correct gear quickly before stepping on the gas. "See? You're completely distracting me."

Louis watched his hand working expertly over Harry's cock, humming to himself.

"If I'm that much of a distraction, I _could_ stop."

"Don't you think about stopping."

Louis huffed out a laugh, moving his hand at a significantly faster speed, flicking his wrist perfectly to have Harry biting harder on his lower lip until it whitened.

"How about your mouth around it?" Harry smirked, briefly glancing Louis' way before concentrating on the road again.

"You're crazy! You'll crash if I've got my head down there too, you idiot." Louis chuckled, although it came out more breathy due to how aroused he was.

"Aww, are you _scaaared_ to live a little?" Harry mocked, using his free hand to stroke Louis' forearm that was reached over. "Come on, Lou, lean over."

Louis breathily cursed aloud before doing as he was instructed, bringing his head down to Harry's lap and taking the head of his exposed dick into his mouth. Harry breathed out his praise, some form of swear word to express his pleasure, using his free hand to push Louis' head down so he gagged on him.

Louis lifted his head, dramatically spluttering. "You prick, don't choke me!"

"Couldn't help it. Sorry, Lou. Come on, continue, I'll keep my hands on the wheel."

Louis continued slowly bobbing his head up and down on Harry's cock, hollowing out his cheeks and trying not to bang his head on the steering wheel, or obstruct Harry from turning it.

"Louis, I'm gonna need to fuck you." Harry informed, voice deep and alluring, followed by a grunt of restrained pleasure. "Like, now."

"We're visiting Zayn, though." Louis teased, before continuing on.

"It can wait, he doesn't even know we're coming yet. He's in all day anyway." Harry muttered, breathing steadily through his lips. Louis lifted up completely from sucking Harry's dick to see that he had turned down a side road and was driving towards the end.

"Seriously?" Louis chuckled, biting on his lip.

"Very serious." Harry breathed, tucking his dick back into his underwear, turning the engine off once he had parked the car right at the end of the road. "Get on my lap."

"How?" Louis ridiculed. "There's barely any room!"

"Come on, just climb onto my lap. _Please._ "

Louis was too clouded with lust to decline that. He unbuckled his seatbelt and frantically climbed over the gearstick, sitting on Harry's legs, facing him, almost jumping out of his skin when his back pressed against the horn of the car, blaring it out into the quiet.

"Shit!" He laughed.

"Yes, just draw _all_ the attention to the car." Harry sarcastically mocked, cupping Louis' face with his hands. "Well, hello there, Mr. Tomlinson. Would you care to join me in the back seat?"

Louis giggled. "Right after you make out with me a little."

Harry cockily smirked to himself before attaching his cold lips to Louis, who warmed them up immediately. They kissed slowly, passionately, while Louis stroked a hand through Harry's hand and gently rocked his body against Harry's. Harry eagerly broke it after a minute or so.

"Back seat."

Louis climbed through the two front seats to the back, laughing brightly in the process at the naughty escapade, laying himself down along the back seats.

"That's exactly where I want you." Harry purred, struggling with his lanky body to follow Louis through to the back. He swore breathlessly and resulted in exiting the car and entering again through the back passenger-side door, causing Louis to giggle to himself. He shut the door behind him, pulling his jeans off completely so he was left with a delightful bulge in his tight underwear. 

Louis could feel that _he_ was hard too, palming himself over through his jeans before wising up and tugging them off as well.

"Let's get to the good stuff, why don't we?" Harry softly queried, climbing over Louis and holding his weight off with his forearms. He used one strong arm to balance the weight while the other reached down and pulled Louis' underwear down, followed by his own, and Louis was staring starry-eyed into Harry's dark-pupiled ones. Their underwear was discarded in the footwell of the car, leaving their lower halves naked and painfully hard already.

Harry sat up and gripped Louis' legs from underneath, practically bending him in half, his legs in the air, spreading him open and spitting against his hole. Louis sighed out a moan at Harry's forcefulness, allowing himself to be used completely. Louis grabbed onto his legs from beneath to hold them up in place, while Harry positioned himself with his dick pressed against Louis' entrance.

"Fuck me," Louis breathed, staring him directly in the eye. "Do it. Hard."

Harry pressed into Louis with a long, low moan, sucking in a harsh breath through gritted teeth at the feeling of the tightness. Louis' mouth dropped open as he sucked in a gasp, eyebrows raising and face contorting in a mix somewhere between comfort and bliss. Harry didn't hold back today, didn't wait for Louis to adjust for too long, before beginning the relentless thrusts into him. The car was rocking from the movements, Louis' head lightly hitting against the inside of the car door behind him.

"Oh my God..." Louis breathed, fingernails digging into his thighs from beneath. "F-Fuck..."

Harry's breathing wavered from the hard work of pounding into Louis at a staggering pace, pressing their foreheads together in the process.

"Nice and hard." Harry breathed out, voice raspy and turned on, grunting with the effort and the feeling. Louis desparetely grabbed onto his own dick, pumping along shakily with the intense fucking he was getting, joining his mouth to Harry's and moaning against his lips, before trying his hardest to kiss him while panting out profanities and whimpers of bliss.

"You love my dick inside you," Harry purred, after bringing his mouth to Louis' ear. "You probably think about it all the time, the way I fuck you."

"Y-Yeah..." Louis stuttered out, cut off by a sharp moan.

"When you're sat in class?" Harry guessed, his tone taunting. "Or when you're with your family? You dirty boy."

"All the time, all the fucking time." Louis shakily admitted, tilting his head aside so Harry could mouth seductively at his neck, gasping as he nibbled down into the skin.

"Good." He mumbled against Louis' neck, "Because you're mine."

 _"Yours."_ Louis whispered in agreement, eyes fluttering shut as Harry changed the thrusting pattern to one sharp thrust each second. Louis panted heavily with each one, Harry hitting his prostate dead-on, and his eyes rolled back as he came all over himself, body shaking and an uneven whimper emitting from his mouth.

Harry smirked widely at his work, not too far behind, removing himself from inside Louis before quickly finishing himself off with his hand, body jolting forward and his cum all over Louis' thigh by the end. Harry gently lowered himself onto Louis as their heavy breathing filled the space of the car, bodies slowly coming down from orgasm. Louis pushed his sweaty fringe from his face to look at Harry, who stared back with a cocky look in his eye.

"Well, that's car sex ticked on my bucket list."

* * *

They didn't bother tidying themselves up too much before they arrived at Zayn's. They had cleared the cum up from both of them, and Louis had tried his hardest to remove the streak of cum that had dirtied the front of his t-shirt. It was good enough.

Zayn lived in a small house in the middle of a busy street. It had a navy blue front door but was bland other than that, brown-bricked and average. When Harry knocked on the front door, and Louis shifted awkwardly (and in mild discomfort from the previous fucking) on his feet, Zayn swung the door open and looked rather happy to see them.

"Hey!" He greeted. The smell of weed was evident from inside the house, and hit Louis' senses pungent and overpowering. "You two totally just fucked, look at you. But come in anyway!"

Harry smirked to himself at Zayn's observation, while Louis reddened in the face, but they took the invitation into Zayn's home. Harry threw his trainers down messily into Zayn's hallway - which was already littered with several pairs of shoes anyway - and Louis politely toed his off and set them aside. The house was mainly open-plan on the bottom floor, the living room branching out into a small kitchen at the back. It was reasonably modern, but there was clutter everywhere, including many alcoholic bottles and cans on the coffee table and along the kitchen counter.

"Apologies for the _subtle_ smell of weed." Zayn snickered, falling back onto the artsy sofa in the living space, the other two following suit.

"You got any more?" Harry asked quickly, as though he was trying to keep the question camouflaged, leaning forward slightly on the sofa in Zayn's direction.

Louis' eyebrows shot up in disapproval, scoldingly glancing over at Harry.

"I mean, I would _never_ go near weed! Would I, Zayn?" Harry's smug look contradicted it. Louis rolled his eyes, while Zayn chuckled to himself at Louis' disappointment and shook his head.

"Would you guys like a drink?" Zayn offered. They both declined, probably deep down because they didn't want Zayn to invite _himself_ to yet another beer. "So... the questioning, Harry. How'd that go?"

Louis was dying to know too, considering Harry had refrained from giving any major details.

"Well, he obviously mentioned my past, unsurprisingly," He began, yawning almost in disinterest over his own words, "But he was trying not to be biased by judging off what I've done in the past."

"I feel kinda bad, knowing about everything but being out of the shit storm of things," Zayn admitted, an arm outstretched behind him, "There's you two getting questioned, and I'm relaxing at home binge-watching TV and getting high."

Harry hummed, almost in bliss, before realising how much Louis disliked the thought of him doing _any_ drugs and clearing his throat instead. Louis didn't like the feeling he got over that, even though it was Harry's decision what he did recreationally.

"You have the right to be out of it, your only role within it is that you _know,_ " Louis reassured, although his body was stiff with awkwardness over sitting in Zayn's house. "Me and Harry, we were both linked, one way or another, to Charlie."

Zayn hummed in thought. "Yeah, true."

"So stop worrying yourself, buttercup." Harry smirked, patting him on the knee (and provoking jealousy in Louis.) "You're the most innocent out of us all, essentially."

"Not if you count those two girls I fucked together last night." Zayn wiggled his eyebrows, and Harry scoffed in disgust.

"Too much information. Stop using drugs, sex and alcohol to heal yourself." Harry suggested. "Although I'm not one to be a hypocrite."

Harry couldn't talk about that at all, considering he was constantly on Facebook back when Louis barely knew him, posting status updates searching for hookups. Back in the dark days. Now he had Louis.

"But, yeah, you get my point. So I was considering mentioning to them that I was the one who told them about Charlie's old work company, that way they might want to question me." Zayn theorised.

Louis furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would you want to be questioned?"

"More suspects means a little less detail on each of them. The more of us there are, the more difficult it'll be for them to work out that Harry's the killer," Zayn tilted his head aside. "If.. that makes sense."

Kind of?

"I guess so. But you'd just be dragging yourself into a whole lot of mess. You'd be better off staying out of it." Harry chipped in.

"My head's in a really bad place at the moment. I think I could _do_ with being out of this house and at the police station. At least it would be a little time out for a while, somewhere to blow off some steam. They don't even have to think I'm _guilty,_ I could even mention how shady the owner of that company is."

"He _is_ the leading suspect," Louis informed them, seeing how this was all coming together now. "It could just work, maybe?"

"See? I'm a genius." Zayn immodestly declared, rubbing his hands together. "Is that a plan, then?"

"If you wanna get involved. I wouldn't blame you for staying out of it." Harry warned. "It's a complex thing you'd be getting yourself into, lying about somebody you don't really know. But I could find out some more information for you about him. What was his name again...?" He trailed off in thought.

"Anthony Bridges." Louis informed, having remembered the name after Davidson had mentioned him as the leading suspect.

"Anthony Bridges." Harry echoed, as though trying to burn that name into his brain for later research. "Okay, I'll find out what I can."

_Louis still wanted to know how he did it, scoped out people's lives._

"Then I'll go down to the station and mention it flat out, that I was the one who tipped them off about the company." Zayn continued. "They'll wanna question me, maybe ask what I've experienced with that business? I dunno, I'll work out a plan."

Zayn was a lot smarter than Louis had first thought. Maybe this would just be crazy enough to work, what with Harry's knowledge of just about anybody in their city, and Zayn's chilled, laid back persona. Perhaps this was what they needed to get the wrong man put behind bars, and keep Harry in Louis' arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could it all be falling into place?


	58. Chapter 58

"Wanna grab a coffee?" Harry asked Louis, as they headed out to Harry's car, after finally leaving Zayn's house at around half past six that evening.

"I'd love to, I'm _freezing._ " Louis shivered. Instinctively, Harry shrugged off his jacket, handing it over to Louis, leaving himself bare-armed now. Louis didn't question it, knowing Harry would dismiss his own welfare immediately as all he cared about was Louis being warm. Louis slipped into the jacket, encased in the warmth and wonderful aroma of Harry off the jacket, as they reached his car and jumped in.

"You're so sweet." Louis complimented, once again densely shivering once he'd shut the door behind him, trying to settle into the cold leather of the passenger seat.

"Seatbelt on." Harry commanded. Louis tugged it on, clipping it in and rubbing his hands together quickly to spark up warmth. He could see goosebumps covering Harry's arms. Harry started up the car and drove them to the nearest café, a cozy yet spacious building in the town centre.

The warm, homely temperature immediately soothed them both, and they both got a coffee before sitting in the corner, in a small booth. It was perfect: a hot drink, snug location, and Harry's face to look at across the table. Louis felt genuinely _comfortable_ , for the first time in a while.

"How long have you known Zayn?" Louis coaxed, after the question had flitted through his mind following Zayn's miraculous decision for the future, earlier that evening. Harry didn't look at all fazed by the question, taking a sip from his drink as he calmly observed others in the café. 

"Since we were, like, seven years old." Harry muttered, smiling slightly to himself at the thought. "Almost twelve years now."

"Wow." Louis breathed out, vaguely shaking his head, the mug between his hands like a mini radiator. "That's a long time. And you've always been really close?"

"Well, we first became friends because we got into an argument, actually," Harry began, with a humored laugh, keeping his eyes on his drink now as he stirred it with a spoon. "We were in the same class and he had this _really_ cool backpack, a power rangers one, and he was getting _all_ the attention for having it. I wanted the attention, I was envious of how many friends he was making, so I snatched his bag off him during lunch and threw it into the duck pond behind the school."

Louis huffed out a shocked laugh, eyebrows raising. " _What?!_ How on earth did that lead to a friendship?" Louis couldn't help but think that throwing another kid's school bag into a pond was a little bit strange of a strange act for a seven-year-old to commit. Maybe Harry had always been quite spiteful and irrational... maybe.

Harry continued, "I felt really bad because he started crying and trying to persuade everybody to help him get it out the water, even though it wasn't possible. So I got my mum to buy a new bag that evening, an even _cooler_ power rangers backpack, and I gave it to him the next day. He just immediately forgave me, gave me a hug, and then he gave me one of his best Match Attax cards. Yes, I used to collect them."

He sheepishly smiled at Louis when he had finished reciting the story. Louis returned it, a fond feeling stirring within him to think about how forgiving young people could be. Arguments would only last a day, at most, before one of them apologised, and then it was mainly forgotten. If only it were that easy for adults.

"That's a very adorable story," Louis giggled, "And you're still friends to this day. Maybe all good friendships are meant to start with a bit of conflict."

"And relationships." Harry suggested.

Oh. Theirs. The stalking.

"Maybe." Louis shrugged, taking a longer sip of his drink, as hough to distract himself from the new turn in the conversation. He didn't like talking about it, surprised Harry had even brought it up, despite its subtlety.

"And Ed? What about him?"

"I'm nowhere near as close to him, obviously he's one of my only friends, but Zayn and I are more inseparable."

"Ed seems mature. Maybe you ought to be around him more. If Zayn's in a rough patch, some of that could be transferred onto you without you even knowing."

"I care a lot about Zayn."

There was a silence, perhaps a tad more uncomfortable now, so Louis filled it with another burning question, that had stuck with him since they'd left Zayn's.

"So... you smoke weed?"

Harry audibly sighed, but it was more dismissive than irritated.

"Sometimes. It's not that bad, lots of people do."

"It can be really bad for your health, you know that?" Louis informed, maturely raising an eyebrow. He knew how boring and adultish he was probably sounding but it was true, and he didn't want Harry doing it, not even if it was an occasional thing.

"It hasn't damaged me yet."

"How do you _know?_ Doing that can lead to depression and even schizophrenia. It was a scientific study, I remember learning about it in biology."

"I don't have schizophrenia, Louis."

" _Or_ depression?"

"Everybody gets down sometimes." Harry shrugged. Louis nodded in understanding, stirring his coffee, despite not needing to. "Look, I'll stop smoking it, even sometimes. For you. Okay?"

"Okay."

The only sounds in the air were from neighbouring tables now, light conversations and metal spoons clinking against the sides of cups, coffee machines whirring away behind the main counter.

"So Zayn's going to the station tomorrow morning?" Louis moved the conversation on, not wanting any ring to get too tense, and regardless of the fact he had explicitly heard Zayn state this himself.

"Yes. No idea how that's going to work, he's just getting himself into loads of shit. He's already going through a really tough time, I don't know why he wants this on his plate too. He's drinking too much, smoking too much, not eating _enough_ , spending loads of time on his own... I'm worried about him. I think I'll meet him before and after he's in the station."

"And you'll have to find out a bit more about Anthony Bridges. All the negative things. Help Zayn think of a story, how he could know Anthony without Anthony knowing _him._ "

"Good point," Harry nodded, "He could even claim to have known Charlie in a romantic way."

"Zayn, gay? Pretty hard to believe." Louis scoffed.

"What, so do _I_ look gay to you?" Harry interjected, raising a intrigued eyebrow.

"Not at all, really. But you can't assume from looking at someone." Louis shrugged.

" _Exactly_ my point. And Davidson will love having another name on his list of suspects, especially if Zayn was presumably linked to Charlie romantically. He'll be all over that."

"I feel mean making Zayn a suspect, though, even if it was his suggestion."

"Well, you shouldn't, because nothing whatsoever will point towards him being the guilty one. I mean, how on earth would police find anything that could lead to that?" Harry outstretched his palms in a smug shrug, one that said: _just try to think up something to contradict_ that.

"Let's just hope this goes to plan. It's all crazy. I just want this Anthony guy to be found guilty, even if it's wrongly. Everything could be normal again then."

"Aside from a few things," Harry chuckled. "Your friends are awkward around me, we're practically hiding the _secret_ that were dating from your family, who absolutely despise me, for good reason, I'm still not all there, mentally."

Louis addressed the most important thing first. "We can fix your mind, no matter what it takes. Therapy? I want you to get better, I hate seeing you struggling. And my friends, they're warming up to you, they smiled at you earlier, remember? They'll get used to you, they'll love you once they hang out around you more. And my _family..._ " Louis trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Hate me."

"Actually, I don't think my sisters do. They know how much you mean to me, they actually convinced me to message you after the whole incident with my dad." Louis informed him, hating the thought that Harry had done something so ridiculously violent.

" _Really?_ " Harry sounded delightfully surprised, eyebrows raising.

"Yeah. My mum's forgiving, I'm not sure if she's _that_ forgiving, for something like what you did, but she could consider it. Your only problem is Mark. Although my mum does seem to have an influence over him somehow."

"There's no point in even _trying._ " Harry gave up. "As long as you're still with me."

Louis didn't want to have to hide away his first real love from his parents. He wished so deeply that Harry had never hospitalised Mark, as it was hardly a thing that could be taken lightly. He wanted Harry to visit their house spontaneously to see Louis and his family, and go on cute outings with them, and speak to Louis' mum whenever he was feeling down. He wanted it so, so badly. It hurt how much.

"I'm sorry this isn't all normal. I really wish we had a normal relationship, I really do." Harry sighed, having taken note of Louis' contemplative, saddened silence.

"It's not your fault." It was. "Maybe one day, eh? At least _your_ family know about us."

"I spoke to my mum over Skype last night. She's doing well, said Gem's got a new boyfriend for me to interrogate before they're allowed to date for real." Harry chuckled to himself. Louis felt so bad for Gemma's boyfriend for having to pass Harry's test first. It was usually something the dad of the family would do, but considering he wasn't around... Harry had taken that role.

"Good luck to him." Louis grinned.

"Anyway, ready to head out now?" Harry asked, noting their empty coffee cups.

"Yeah, let's."

They battled through the cold to Harry's car once again, Harry protectively shielding Louis from the cold with his arm around his shoulder. He was so cold, Louis could feel him shivering beside him, but he didn't complain once. He dropped Louis home in record time, sealing the evening with a kiss, and Louis waved Harry off like he was a husband going to war. His explanation to his parents regarding his late arrival home was that he'd been with Liam and Niall. And he really did come close to pulling his mother aside and telling her all about being with Harry, how he was lovely really, and had given him his jacket and bought him a coffee, but he ran up to his bedroom before he gave into the ridiculous temptation.

* * *

Louis was more updated the next morning, while he sat in the library during his free period, supposed to be studying for their upcoming English exam but instead paying attention Harry's text messages.

At 10:38:  
To Louis - From Harry: Zayn's just headed into the station. I'm actually so so worried even tho i ran him through everything he has to know. :/ I hope you're having an okay morning at school. Study hard!! .xx

At 10:39:  
To Louis - From Harry: But not too hard, don't stress yourself out .xx

Louis breathed a laugh to himself, so as not to distract anybody working around him, thumbing out a reply.

To Harry - From Louis: Don't worry, it'll be fine. Zayn will be okay won't he? He seems confident enough. As long as he says everything he needs to. And don't worry, I'm not studying too hard because someone is currently distracting me x

To Louis - From Harry: Thinking about my beautiful face are you? ;) .xx

To Harry -From Louis: exactly xx

To Louis - From Harry: Or how I fucked you in my car? .xxx

Louis sucked in a harsh breath, looking around him, as though somebody would be reading it over his shoulder. They were all too hus reading textbook, writing and highlighting, as Louis should have been. But definitely, that little moment they shared in Harry's car just the day previous had stuck with him. He loved Harry so, so much.

To Harry - From Louis: You bad boy, I'm in school xx

To Louis - From Harry: Even hotter because it's even worse for you to be thinking about it while you're there .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Where are you while Zayn's in the station? Xx

To Louis - From Harry: Sat in my car a street away. He shouldn't be too long. I'll tell you later what's happened when I find out .xx

'Later' was too long to wait for. Louis wanted to know now, despite it being impossible to extract information from the literal future. He wasn't feeling too patient about this.

He got down to some studying, leaving Harry's latest text unreplied to, knowing full well they'd get into another conversational topic and he'd be too distracted to concentrate on his work. When breaktime came around, he packed away his things and left the library, meeting Liam and Niall in the common room. He didn't bother running them through everything that had happened regarding Zayn, knowing he'd then have to explain who Zayn was and answer any other questions they might have had. He stayed quiet, phone in hand, on vibrate.

He didn't want to go to his class third period, which was chemistry, with a teacher whose home life always seemed to influence his mood during their lessons, or make its way into his words as he taught the class. Anything seemed better than attending that class. Louis would rather watch paint dry.

He wasn't apprised of the latest update regarding _Operation Zayn_ until near the very end of his dreadful chemistry lesson. Just as their teacher was telling them to pack away their things and start heading out. Louis tried to unlock his phone with one hand while stuffing his pencil case into his backpack with the other.

To Louis - From Harry: Okay so Zayn is done, sat here with me now.

To Harry - From Louis: And????

Louis kept his eyes glued in his screen as he was walking, which was a good distraction from the sorrowful look Eleanor sported as she looked at him. Liam and Niall walked alongside him as he watched his screen for a new reply to pop up.

To Louis - From Harry: They believe him for the most part. He told them he had a fling with Charlie a month before he went missing. He mentioned Anthony Bridges, how bad a person he is, made up some story about Bridges threatening somebody he knew after they refused to join the business. But not everything quite went to plan

Louis' stomach dropped. He ignored his two friends' intrigued peppering of questions, swatting them away with a hand like flies.

To Harry - From Louis: What do you mean not everything went to plan???!

To Louis - From Harry: Well, through a series of intrusive and intimidating questions, he somehow worked out that Zayn's my best friend. And now he wants to see you, me and Zayn for an interview Sunday morning, midday. All three of us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that gonna go :O


	59. Chapter 59

Oh dear _God._

Had Davidson caught on to something? What the fuck had Zayn said in the questioning to link himself to Harry? Louis hadn't a clue, but it was worrying the living hell out of him. And why did Davidson want to see the three of them _together?_ Did he want to see how they all reacted to one another? What pushed their buttons?

Now was when Louis was considering taking off in his car to far Scotland, never to return, but then he would practically be on the run as he'd be suspected guilty. He felt like he had lost a sense of trust towards Zayn, being unsure of what had actually gone down at the station, but he was sure as hell Harry would always trust him regardless, considering they had almost been best friends for twelve years now. Louis was praying Zayn hadn't suddenly sided with the police... even though he would have no reason to. He'd have to be mad to want to put his best mate behind bars. Maybe he still held the 'power rangers backpack incident' too close to heart. Ha.

To Harry - From Louis: Why? Why does he want to see us all together?

To Louis - From Harry: Because he's linked Zayn to me, I'm linked to you, Zayn's suddenly walked into the station days after both our questionings to go on about how awful this Bridges guy is....obviously they're suspicious of us. But we have to take this calmly, we can't crumble under the pressure when we go .xx

Louis wanted to refuse attending. What if he pretended to be in hospital, unable to attend? _No, that was just a ridiculous move._ He could fabricate that he's out of town that date? _But then it would surely just be postponed and he would stress about it for an even longer period of time._

Harry couldn't get found out, no matter what it took. It was quite possible that Davidson was leaning towards Harry as the suspect the most, out of the three of them: he was tall, strong and had knowingly murdered in the past. He was most likely a _very_ likely candidate in their eyes. And it didn't help that the police knew he was in a relationship with Louis, and that Louis had slept with Charlie. Nothing seemed to be working in their favour.

To Harry - From Louis: Did Zayn tell you absolutely everything that he said? I have a bad feeling you're going to get found out here Harry. 

To Louis - From Harry: He told me everything he remembered apparently. I have that feeling too Louis. I'm really sorry about all of this :( it really isn't far on you .xx

No, it wasn't. And to be quite frank, Louis wished right now to be completely alone, loveless, just so long as he didn't have to be to angled up in this mess. But maybe it was his own fault too - he should never have gotten involved with Charlie.

"Why are you frantically texting? What's up?" Niall quizzed from beside him, nosily attempting to crane his neck over to take a look himself. Louis moodily blocked the screen from his view.

"It's nothing."

"It clearly is. Is this about the Charlie case again?" Liam swooped into the conversation. Louis nodded in response. "What's happening about it?" Liam continued.

"Harry's going to prison." Louis muttered, hopelessly. Liam caught him by the arm all of a sudden, ceasing him from walking any further.

"What?!" He gasped. "He's been caught?"

"Not yet, but he will be soon. I can just _tell._."

"Why?" Niall pushed.

"Questioning Sunday. Me, Harry, and his friend Zayn - you've met Zayn, Liam."

Liam hummed in recall, remembering back to what seemed like _months_ ago, the rather gawky little endeavour in the diner.

"So... the police are working it out?"

"I believe they are," Louis nodded, as the three of them began strolling again, more leisurely than before. "I have this bad feeling they're already assuming it's Harry."

"Then don't _let_ them find out. Plan what you're going to say." Liam reasoned.

"That never works. Inspector Davidson, he always comes up with things to stump people, catch them off guard. He'll be doing that on Sunday, without a doubt."

"Why's _Zayn_ been drawn into it?" Liam questioned, eyebrows furrowed. "He's got absolutely nothing to do with it... has he?"

"No. But it was his decision to become involved, he thought he could deliver a convincing lie of a story about another prime suspect, and that they'd buy it. Clearly it didn't work." Louis cringed at the thought now, yet he was still so in the dark about what really happened. _Had_ Davidson bought Zayn's lie at all?

"Well. Good luck, anyway." Liam patted his shoulder, as they reached Louis' car. "You may need it."

"I can't disagree with that." Louis huffed.

* * *

Sunday rolled around. What would have usually been a lazy Sunday, was exchanged with Louis up and out of bed bright and early, by 8:30 sharp, mentally preparing himself for the day. He would have much rather been woken up by his sister to go shoe-shopping with the twins, back when things were more plain and simple, than have just two and a half hours to scour his mind for ideas that would prove Harry's innocence. Well - more like _create_ Harry's innocence, which really didn't exist.

They had set the night before that Harry would pick Zayn up first from his house, then arrive at Louis' place at around ten minutes to eleven. Louis was jittery and awkward, sat in the living room with his parents, watching Blue Planet 2, awaiting the pickup time. They seemed to overlook his pensive manner, too concentrated on the wildlife on the television screen, and also didn't realise that Louis shot up off the sofa at 10:50 on the dot to leave the room.

No questions asked. Yet.

Harry was just thirty seconds late, pulling up expertly outside Louis' house. Zayn had already taken the passenger seat, so Louis slid onto the back seat (where he and Harry had fucked not too many days ago.)

"Morning." Zayn did the greeting, smiling in a way that said _'I am really fucking worried but I'm trying to stay positive.'_

"Hi, Zayn." Louis responded. "Hi, Harry."

Harry glanced back in the mirror at Louis, his form of greeting, before concentrating on the road as he started the car again. He was so visibly tense that his knuckles were partly white from his tightlock grip on the steering wheel. He had the right to be the most tense. Obviously.

Zayn was rubbing his temples, groaning deeply in his throat, and when Louis asked he was told that Zayn was having some problems with his head again. Louis chose not to press on any further, leaving it with a sympathetic 'oh' and a frown.

They arrived quite promptly, at four minutes to eleven, and decided to head in early. They signed in at the desk, lingered in the cushiony waiting area while the receptionist phoned through to Davidson, and waited in sheer silence. The ominous feeling in Louis' heart was taking over.

"Boys, good morning." Greeted Davidson, brightly into the dull room. "Nice to see you all. Please follow me."

There was almost a _hatred_ in Harry's eyes, making Louis want to snap his fingers and get rid of it. He wanted to scold Harry in whisper but knew he would be heard. 

They were taken to a larger room than those the initial questionings had been held in. This space was larger, with a television screen at the front, stingy, grey-white blinds limply hanging from the windows, and several wooden tables set out in front of the television. Davidson instructed the three of them to sit at individual tables, giving Louis a _school-detention-room_ sort of vibe, like they had been called there for their misconduct in lessons. They were assured it was a procedure that would stop any 'unlawful contact' with each other, which Louis assumed meant they couldn't secretly tap each other's legs beneath the tables, or stamp on each other's feet. Clever.

Harry took the seat closest to the windows, furthest into the room, Zayn sat in the centre, and Louis sat closest to the entrance of the room. The chairs were stiff and wooden, providing no more comfort than a flimsy cushion lining the backs. Louis became aware of two officers stood at the back of the room, who swiftly moved forward to temporarily (confiscate?) take their bags to the back of the room, where they stockily stood. Louis wanted to look around Zayn to smile at Harry, but restrained it and paid attention to the Inspector instead.

"Gentlemen, how are we all doing?"

"Fantastic." Harry spoke up first, crossing his left leg over the right, rather casually. "How about yourself?"

Louis winced at Harry's nonchalance.

"I am doing okay, but as you'll become aware, this is more about _you three_ than myself."

Louis already hated this, specifically his inability to advise Harry of how he should be talking to an officer. He was only making this worse on himself.

"Anyway, let's move on, shall we? Harry and Louis, are you aware that Zayn visited the station earlier this week to have a word with us?"

The two of them nodded.

"And I was informed that Zayn and Mr. Dyer had sexual relationship back in late November. Were you two aware of this?" Davidson asked, perching himself on the edge of a rickety table at the front of the room.

"I wasn't." Louis stated.

"Harry?" Davidson asked.

"Neither was I, Sir."

"So, Zayn, was this so-called 'fling' something you were ashamed of?" Davidson questioned him, his eyes set on him now. Zayn didn't seem to squirm.

"I wouldn't say ashamed, just something I didn't feel I had to share." He shrugged.

"And you called off this fling early, long before Mr. Dyer officially went missing, is that right?"

"Yes."

Davidson grabbed a remote control from a pullout drawer, switching on the television. Harry hated those damn police TVs, since he was shown an image of Louis uncomfortably close to Charlie. He wanted to smash the screen once again, like the last tempting one.

"I'm going to show the three of you an image."

Oh God, it could be anything. Louis' stomach stirred with uncomfortable worry.

"Please observe."

The photograph on the screen immediately caused Louis to retch, covering his mouth, the unintentional movement surprising Davidson. And Zayn densely shivered in his seat as he observed the image.

It was a high definition shot of two dismembered body parts, laid out on vivid blue tarpaulin: a forearm, hand included, and what looked to be a single finger. Both had bone protruding, dried blood drenched over the once-pale skin. The forearm was labeled with a large ' **A** ' beside it, the dismembered finger labeled **'B'**.

"Louis and Zayn, you are clearly very distraught by these images. No reaction from _you_ though, Harry?" Davidson brought up, raising an intrigued eyebrow. Louis wanted to shake his head and cry, both at the image burned into his mind, and Harry's lack of any empathy. For fuck's _sake._

"I watch a lot of those medical shows on TV, I'm not so squeamish anymore." Harry muttered, picking at the peeling wood on the edge of his desk. That was a good enough excuse for now. Davidson didn't mention it further, but Louis could tell he mentally took note of the reaction.

"Exhibit A, the forearm, a was discovered in amongst the forest in Elmfield Park by two members of our crime and investigation team. Exhibit B was found just two days ago, by one of our trusty sniffer dogs. Both have been biologically proven to belong to the late Charlie Dyer, matching his DNA exactly." Davidson ran through, finally switching off the screen and relieving them of the haunting image. "So obviously, the rest of the body is out there somewhere, cut up. _Torn_ up, suggesting that whoever did this wasn't afraid to roll their sleeves up and get themselves messy. Or _bloody_ , should I say?"

His eyes flicked momentarily over Harry. Louis saw it. He hated it. He had great suspicions, yet Louis was sat there silent, unsure of anything he could possibly say at this moment. At all.

"Well, I think _anybody_ could have been able to do that, mentally. Providing they hated Charlie enough." Zayn spoke up, shocking Louis slightly.

"Did _you_ hate him, Mr. Malik? In the short space you knew him, did you form a disdain?" Davidson queried, seeming more interested in the cryptic individual all of a sudden.

"No, Sir. Well, not too much."

"Not too much," Davidson echoed under his breath, "Mr. Malik, how long have you and _Harry_ been friends?"

Sudden transition.

"Coming up to twelve years." Zayn seemed to gulp, Louis saw it. "Since the middle of primary school."

"A very hefty amount of time for a friendship. May I ask, do you have any experience of Harry's violent tendencies?" Davidson grilled.

"Oh _great,_ just veer this back onto how awful of a person I am." Harry mumbled, angrily. Louis wanted to run a hand over his arm to sooth him.

"In no way am I singling you out, Mr. Styles, it is a crucial question."

"It really isn't. Why is my friendship with Zayn anything to do with this _murder_ shit? It's more understandable with me and Louis, yes, but Zayn and I aren't going to influence your investigation further." Harry stubbornly interjected, before Zayn could answer.

"Okay, Harry, my apologies. I do not want you getting angry."

"You're _patronising_ me!" Harry raised his voice, just slightly. The two guards at the back of the room vigilantly stepped forwards, one clearing his throat to remind Harry: _don't try anything._ Louis knew that Harry could probably take both of them on, easily.

"Let's allow this to lead us _swiftly_ on to our next topic. Zayn, you mentioned in our first conversation together than today you'd like to bring something along to show me."

What?

"Yes, I've got some evidence in my bag that I'd like to share with you. And I think it will point you more quickly towards who did this." Zayn's voice had turned stone-cold all of a sudden. Louis felt his heartrate dip, hands latching on more firmly to the base of his chair, and there was a panicked look in Harry's eyes: a flash of alarm.

An officer brought forward Zayn's bag, after Davidson had instructed so, and Louis wanted to smash his head down onto the desk as Zayn rifled through it. _What the fuck was he doing? Was this a betrayal? Was he about to prove Harry's guilt?_

The tension it the room could be cut with a knife.

And a knife is what Zayn pulled out, contained safely in a ziploc bag, which he gently placed down onto the tabletop. The blade of the knife was stained with dry blood. Louis felt dizzy with confusion, utterly disorientated.

_What the--?_

"Mr. Malik, this is an item that _strictly_ surpasses our safety procedures, for you to bring it in your bag." Davidson almost scolded, but looked intrigued nonetheless, taking ahold of the object and inspecting it.

_What was going on?_

Harry watched Zayn like a hawk, eyebrows furrowed, non-verbally asking Zayn what the fuck he was doing. Probably thinking: 'I didn't use that knife to chop Charlie to pieces.'

"But what significance does this weapon have, Mr. Malik? Please do share."

Louis was tense. Was Zayn about to frame Harry? Was he going to make up another story about Anthony Bridges?

"Gladly," Zayn smiled, a wide and devious smile, eyes almost wild. "It was me. This is the knife I used to cut up Charlie's body after I strangled him to death."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confused?


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are any spelling errors xx

Inspector Davidson's eyebrows gradually furrowed as he slowly processed what Zayn had said. He glanced back down at the bloodied knife within the ziploc bag, then back at Zayn, as though he was adding up what had been said. Louis didn't even _dare_ to look Harry's way, but he knew the poor boy's heart must have been beating out of his chest at that moment. There was something weird about this, Louis knew it. The two stocky guards from the back of the room had moved to either side of Zayn's table, wary and ready, having been there since Zayn 'confessed'.

"Mr. Malik." Davidson cleared his throat, setting the 'evidence' down onto the desk beside him. "Can I confirm that you are confessing to the murder of Mr. Charlie Dyer?"

Louis did look Harry's way now. He looked almost _furious_ , but Louis figured it was mostly due to angry shock. His hands were trembling on the tabletop, trying to hide it by rubbing them together vigorously, and Louis wanted to go over to him and hug him and tell him it was all going to be okay.

"Yes." Zayn confidently said, after a moment's silence. Davidson's eyes then fell onto _Harry_ , almost immediately, eyeing the way his hands trembled, the way his nostrils flared slightly as though he was holding in his fury.

"Harry, do you have anything to say?" He raised one eyebrow inquisitively, and Louis could have sworn he saw the smallest smile breaking through. What the fuck _was_ this?

Louis' heart began to hammer heavily, making eye contact with Harry and sporting the best and most discreet _'don't-you-fucking-dare-say-it'_ look. Harry couldn't say a thing, he couldn't get found out. Clearly he was being cornered here, emotionally pushed into saying something revealing.

"I..." Harry took a deep breath, before exhaling and shaking his head. Louis could tell he was close to crying, he knew him well though by now. "I'm just... I don't know what to say."

He was understandably very stuck here. It seemed like Zayn had done this on the police's side, agreed to fake a confession so that Harry would step forward and admit what he had done, but it wasn't clear whether Zayn really was confessing on Harry's side, helping him as a friend. He _had_ been having some problems with his head, what with the excessive drugs and drinking, so God knows what was stirring in that mind.

"Why don't you know?" Davidson pushed. Harry let out a sharper sigh, one that sounded like a stifled sob, and Louis' chair actually scraped the floor due to how close he was to standing up to go and comfort Harry. He restrained it.

"Because I don't _know_. I'm just... shocked." He stated in a small voice, avoiding eye contact with anybody. Zayn was doing the same, eyes glued to the tabletop. Louis had never seen the two of them looking so simultaneously timid and afraid.

"Anderson, Brookes, please escort Mr. Malik out of the room. I think it'd be best to separate the three for now." Davidson waved a hand, and the two officers immediately sprang into action, rather roughly grabbing Zayn by his biceps. He didn't struggle. But before he left the room, he left Harry with a lingering glance. The glance said it all: _'I'm on your side. Please believe me, I did this for you.'_ And then he was gone, with a thunderous slam of the door.

"So, Harry," Davidson cleared his throat, perching on the vacant table that was before occupied by Zayn. "You're shocked?"

"Obviously, yes. I didn't expect it." Harry played along to what he had seen from Zayn. Louis was so glad that he had registered the look correctly, that he knew his best friend well enough to take it as a hint.

"And Louis?" Davidson moved onto him twisting round on the tabletop, his eyes locked onto him. "Do you believe it was really _Zayn_?"

"I have no idea." Louis stated, monotone. "I didn't know what their relationship was like."

"Well, the knife Zayn provided will be taken into forensics and studied. If the blood on the knife matches Charlie's DNA, and only Zayn's DNA is on the handle, _well_ ," Davidson sharply shrugged, "Then we've got some pretty convincing evidence. If not, I guess we will have to keep on investigating." He smiled at Harry, sickly sweet. He definitely though (knew) Harry was the killer. It was terrifyingly obvious.

How in the world would that knife have Charlie's DNA on it? Unless Zayn had really intricately planned this all out, it seemed stupidly impossible. This was perhaps a temporary deflection, putting the attention on himself while Harry came up with a better plan to get out of it. At the moment, the situation was dire and Davidson was convinced of Harry. Somehow.

"Yeah, I guess you will." Harry mimicked the same smile, except it was perhaps double as sarcastically sweet as Davidson's.

"It's funny, really," Davidson strolled back to the front of the room. "That your best friend, Harry, confessed to this. After coming in with a story of how he knew Charlie, and the company he worked for. " _Funny._ "

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"You think you're fucking adding it all up, don't you?" Harry spat. Louis' breathing dipped. "You're completely patronising me, making me angry. Maybe it'd be best to consider getting those guards back into the room."

" _Harry._ " Louis harshly whispered, scoldingly.

"Was that a _threat_ , Mr. Styles? My goodness, tell me that wasn't a threat." Davison huffed out a laugh of disbelief, looking almost amused. "You may be strong, Harry, but you're speaking to a Chief Police Inspector here. I would very strongly advise you not to push your luck."

Louis wanted to slap some sense into Harry. He wasn't making the situation any better, in fact it was probably even worse now.

"Of course I wasn't threatening you. I am just stressed." Harry defeatedly admitted, rubbing his temples. "My best friend has maybe committed murder, how _should_ I feel?"

"Understandable. Zayn will be in custody while we run this through forensics," Davidson scooped up he evidence bag again in their view. "So we will definitely be keeping the two of you updated. For now, you're free to go."

The two of them stood up, retrieving their bags from the back of the room, Louis feeling massively relieved for the time being that it was over... Until he was stopped when they had neared the exit.

"Actually, Louis, a quick word? Just you." Davidson requested. Harry's eyebrows were skeptically furrowed, looking between them, but he stepped out of the room anyway. Louis wanted him to come back.

"Yes?" Louis asked, twisting the cuff of his sleeve around his index finger nervously.

Davidson lowered the volume of his voice. "Do you know _anything_ , Louis? If you do, I think you should step forward and say now."

He wanted Louis to tell on Harry. Louis' heartrate peaked, trying not to let his words falter.

"I don't know a thing. I'm really confused by all of this." He lied, shrugging his shoulders.

"You _promise_ me you don't know who killed Charlie?" Davidson stared deeply, patronisingly, into Louis' eyes, non-verbally saying it: he knew it was Harry. He was virtually certain.

"I promise." Louis fibbed, with an assured nod. "I don't know who killed Charlie. But I really hope you find out, for the sake of his family."

He really didn't. He couldn't care less, considering how awful a person Charlie turned out to be. It was a close call but Harry stopped it all before it went too far.

"Charlie's mother calls the station every day in tears, begging us to tell her new information. She just wants her son's killer to be found, no matter how dark his secrets were, what with that prostitution company and so forth." Davidson frowned. "They already held a memorial for him, his entire family."

"I don't understand what drove someone to kill him. And if it was Zayn, then _why_?" Louis convincingly asked, putting on a matching frown to Davidson's.

"I'd see more of a reason to kill if my _partner_ had been involved with the victim. Maybe that would be splenetic jealous, I just don't know, but it seems more liable." Again, the lingering look in Louis' eyes. "Please wise up, Mr. Tomlinson. Don't stay in a relationship with Harry Styles."

Louis' breath hitched, feeling like his heart could go into overdrive and stop altogether due to its intensely fast rhythm.

"Keep us updated." He mused, before reaching the door, leaving without a further word. 

He sped down the corridor, so glad not to find Harry listening through the door, and swiftly entered the reception area again. He found Harry leaning casually against the front desk counter, chatting away to the receptionist. It was the smirk on his face, and the seductively deep tone, that made Louis' insides twist in jealousy. The woman was smiling, a slight tinge of pink in her cheeks, as she listened to him speak.

"Harry." Louis stated, harshly. Harry's eyes flicked up suddenly, catching onto Louis, and he straightened his posture once again and gave him a soft smile.

"Louis. You ready to go?"

"Yes," Louis sighed, folding his arms, "Let's go."

* * *

"So Zayn's staying in custody. God, I feel so awful. That was so shocking, I had no idea he would do that." Harry restated the fact they'd retained earlier, as though Louis had a problem with his memory and couldn't recall it. Louis hummed in disinterest, staring out of the window on his left. "Are you _angry_ at me?"

Louis huffed out a sigh. "Harry, were you flirting with the woman at reception?"

"Yes, I was." Harry said. 

Louis whipped his head in Harry's direction, a look of utter disbelief on his face. "Are you kidding me?"

"Louis, it wasn't genuine flirting. I just found it a good idea to get the staff on my side a little bit, starting with the receptionist." Harry drummed his hands nonchalantly on the steering wheel. "No biggie."

" _No biggie_? What, are you going to fuck her too, to get your message across?" Louis hissed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Louis, I was only _talking_ to the woman, I'm not attracted to her, am I? Do you not see my strategy?"

"Not really. She's only a receptionist, she won't have any say in how innocent or guilty you are."

"Ah, but the gossip in police stations is _tremendous_ , Louis. Believe me, I've heard their gossip. She may get a good word or two across about me. And Davidson must trust her, she's his employee." Harry explained. "I know it doesn't seem realistic but it could work."

"Okay. So you said you're working your way up? What, so you'll be flirting with some of the fucking police officers next?"

"You never know, it could work." Harry smirked, glancing at Louis. "Maybe I could work my magic on everybody in that station."

Yes, Harry was rather irresistible. But Louis was jealous, so he wasn't happy with it.

"Something's telling me Davidson might not fall for that," Louis snorted, shaking his head. "But anyway, I can't believe Zayn's actually in custody. What do you think is going on? What will happen when they've run that knife through forensics?"

"I don't know. I have no clue what Zayn's doing, if I'm honest. Maybe buying me some time to think of a new plan."

"That's what I thought." Louis pointed out. "But what do we do now?"

"There's nothing we can do, really, except worry about Zayn's sanity." Harry frowned. "Seriously, he needs help."

"Maybe you can go to therapy together." Louis muttered. "Not meaning that spitefully. Just saying."

"Where am I dropping you off? Wanna come round?" Harry asked, as he approached the roundabout, the first exit leading to roads towards Harry's, while the second exit led to the direction of Louis' house.

"I've been spending so much time away from my family, it's probably suspicious. I'll have to go home, I think."

Harry sadly hummed. "Okay." He turned the car round the roundabout, taking the second exit towards Louis'.

"Sorry, Harry, I would rather spend time with you right now, it's just my mum, she's always asking where I've been, or who with." Louis apologised, brushing his thumb over Harry's forearm.

"I wish I could come to your house with you." Harry mumbled. "That'd be nice."

"I know it would. It's not exactly ideal though, is it?"

"No. I really want to apologise to Mark." Harry admitted, gulping thickly.

"You do?" Louis asked, turning to look at Harry, as the car rolled up to Louis' house.

"Really badly. He can react how he wants. He can punch me, ignore me, or forgive me."

Louis deeply thought for a moment, peering over to the driveway. There were three cars parked: his own, Jay's and _Mark's._ Was he really considering this? Holy shit, he was.

"Harry... would you come in and apologise right _now_?"

Harry looked greatly caught off-guard. His eyes widened, eyebrows raising.

" _Really_ Are you _sure_?"

"No." Louis breathed out a nervous laugh. "But do you want to?"

Harry's eyes were trained in the front door, as if he was encouraging himself to make it his destination. He shook his head, sighing, but then it gradually turned into a nod.

"Okay. _Fuck_ , so you're just going to... what? Knock with me stood there, walk in with me?" Harry furrowed his eyebrows.

"I think it'd be best to keep you outside. But yeah, if we knock, hope maybe my mum or one of my older sisters answers first."

"I'm scaaared." Harry whined, a childish smile. "Louiiis."

"The sooner you've apologised, the better. Right? And if you don't get forgiven, we know not to try again for now."

"Your whole family is in?" Harry guessed.

"Yeah. Don't worry, Lottie and Felicite like you, pretty sure."

"That's reassuring. Two out of six in your family like me."

"Actually, _three_ out of _seven_ like you," Louis smirked, pointing to himself. Harry cackled out a laugh.

"Appreciate it, Lou."

"Come on," Louis got out of Harry's car, even though the engine was still running, and Harry stayed sat inside with an amused smile on his face. "Harry!" Louis drawled out, his voice muffled by the glass windscreen separating them.

"Fine!" Harry gave in, twisting the engine off and leaving the car, slamming the door behind him. "I'm putting on my confident face."

"That seems to always be on." Louis chuckled, leading them up the path, trying to forget that the last time Harry had been there, it had ended with Mark unconscious, probably almost dead, on the ground and Harry with a blood-splattered t-shirt.

Louis dragged Harry forwards by his forearm, stopping when they had reached the front door. He knocked steadily, in a playful rhythm of seven knocks.

"Fuck this." Harry whispered, ducking his head.

"Be quiet. It's okay."

Louis could see a silhouetted outline through the blurred glass as somebody approached the door. He wanted to run away with Harry at that instant, but they both stayed. The door clicked open. Felicite stood there. She gaped at Harry, eyes wide, hand frozen to where it held the door open.

"Uh... Hi Louis. Hi Harry."

"Hi." Harry spoke up first, a reassuring smile.

"Are mum and dad in?"

"Louis, bad idea," Felicite whispered. "Dad's in a really shitty mood, don't try this now." She stepped outside with them, shutting the door to prevent anybody from hearing. "I understand if you want to apologise, Harry, but not now. Not like this."

"I knew this was mad, it was Louis' idea." Harry laughed, prodding Louis on the shoulder.

"I just want you to know, Harry, that me and Lottie like you. We don't fully understand the situation and everything, but we will back this if you and Louis are..." She made a gesture of pulling her hands together, as a way of indicating a relationship.

"Thank you." Harry smiled.

"So... not now, no?" Louis confirmed.

"Not now," Felicite shook her head, "But another way. I dunno, just leave it longer."

"Okay." Harry and Louis said at the same time, with amused smiles.

"How about..." Felicite trailed off in thought, "How about you announce it more casually, instead of turning up here. Lou, why don't you bring Harry to pick me and Lottie up from school one day? Mum and Dad will obviously be there and it'd be less shocking for them than turning up here."

Harry and Louis exchanged pensive looks, before Louis was the one to nod and reply. "Yeah, that could work."

"Could it?" Harry laughed.

"Yes. And if they don't like us together, that's their problem." Louis assured him. "Because I'm staying with you. No matter what."

"Awww," Felicite cooed, "That's adorable."

"Anyway, Harry, you better head off." Louis said, patting his arm. "But tomorrow, maybe you could pick me up from school and then we could drive to the girls' school?"

"Sure." Harry nodded, smiling at Felicite and Louis before heading off up the path. "Three, Louis, yeah?" He called back over his shoulder.

"Three." He confirmed, with a fond smile. Harry jumped back into his car, waving at the two of them before driving off.

"Well," Felicite hummed, "This will be interesting."

It was yet another thing to worry about, on top of the situation with poor Zayn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously more on the Zayn situation to come :)


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any grammatical mistakes will be corrected tomorrow x

Louis was _really_ trying to convince himself that their plan would be worthwhile. It was unascertained how anyone, especially Mark, would react, and Louis' mind was running over all the things that could go wrong. What if they could never allow themselves to forgive Harry for what he did? The problem here was that Louis was effectively taking a risk here; his parents would know, whether or not they condoned it, that Louis was seeing Harry. He couldn't take that back if they didn't accept Harry's apology.

Louis and Felicite decided to leave Lottie out on the plan, recollecting that it was a tendency of hers to blurt secrets out, especially to their mum. It was just going to have to be as much of a surprise for her as it would be for Jay and Mark.

That night, Louis lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, in the pitch darkness of his bedroom. His brain swarmed with many different things, primarily Zayn. He still couldn't quite fathom what had happened, how Zayn could have pushed himself to actually confess. Whose blood was actually on that knife? Had he really been scheming all of this, alone, in that artsy, little apartment of his? Clearly he wasn't very mentally stable, considering he had the mentality to go to such severe lengths to help a friend. It was both selfless and insane. Being in custody must have been rather scary too, waiting there for countless hours, on his own, left with his thoughts. Louis was well aware how much Harry wanted to step forward and say it was him, rescue Zayn from the mess.

By the time Louis got some sleep, it was nearing two o'clock in the morning, and his seven o'clock alarm certainly wasn't a very welcome noise when it ripped him from his needed rest. As soon as he was awake and aware enough to think, he remembered that he and Harry had conjured up that stupid plan of turning up at the girls' school. Why in the world did he come up with such ridiculously spontaneous plans?

Harry must have been nervous.

 

Louis learnt absolutely nothing new in school, as there was no free space in his conscious thought to store any recently learnt information. He prayed Mark was in a good mood today, an accommodating mood, because otherwise this was bound to be a disaster. Harry was parked around the corner from the school, as usual, at three that afternoon. He greeted Louis a little bit _too_ brightly, showcasing immediately that it was all a facade of confidence.

"What're _you_ so happy about?" Louis giggled, plugging in his seatbelt and rubbing his hands together as he got used to the heat of the car's air.

"Trying to remain positive, trying to remain positive, trying to remain positive." Harry muttered a few times under his breath, beginning the short drive to the school.

"I'm on your side, remember? I know that what you did was bad and can't exactly just be swept under the rug, but I really want them to forgive you."

Harry hummed out a noise in response, deep in thought. "What am I supposed to say?"

"I dunno, shake Mark's hand and apologise." Louis suggested. "Something humble, you don't want to look like you're being forced to say you're sorry."

"Okay, okay." Harry nodded to himself. "And... we're just going to walk over to them? _Awkward._ " He sang out the final word comically.

"Well, yeah, there's nothing more we can do. They'll be there already, the girls are let out from school the same time as me. We'll find Mark and my mum standing near the car park, they like chatting with the other parents there." Louis explained, picking at his nail. He realised that he too was pretending he was okay with this, when really he was internally shitting himself. He really wasn't ready for this.

They pulled up by the school, and Harry parked the car at the side of the road, with an advantageous view of the whole scene. Over to the left was the car park area, where Louis pointed out Jay and Mark chatting to a woman who was trying to restrain some rather out-of-control children. They could also spot Felicite and Lottie in the near distance, stood in a small group of friends.

"Where are the twins?" Louis thought aloud, eyes scanning the area. "They're usually stood with my mum."

"Maybe they're with your other sisters. Are they over there?" Harry asked, craning his neck over to get a look from their car view.

"No, let me text Felicite quick, I'm probably overreacting. They've probably gone to a mate's house." Louis reassured himself, pulling out his phone and speedily shooting a text to Felicite.

To Felicite - From Louis: We are here, parked. Where are the twins???

They could see that in the distance Felicite was pulling out her phone, momentarily reading over the message before bringing both hands in to type.

To Louis - From Felicite: i think they are stood with mum arent they?

Louis glanced back over towards his parents to find just one twin there, Daisy, he could tell from a distance. They never really separated while they were at school, and all had the same friends, so his heart started hammering as he shifted into 'protective big brother mode.'

"What's happening?" Harry pushed, worry filling his eyes too, watching Louis frantically looking about the field in front of the school, from one side of the car windscreen to the other.

"Phoebe isn't there."

To Felicite - From Louis: Daisy is there, I don't know where Phoebs is...

To Louis - From Felicite: Oh crap let me tell mum

Louis watched her lightly jogging over to where Jay and Mark stood, pulling on her mum's arm until she angrily stopped talking to her friend and paid attention. As soon as she took in what Felicite was frantically telling her, she began looking all around herself in concern, asking Daisy, asking Mark. His heart was racing as he watched, frozen in place, knowing that now everybody _else_ was worrying, he was no longer overreacting. He was so enthralled by watching his family, that he almost didn't hear Harry frantically unfastened his seatbelt and throw open the car door.

Louis whipped his head over as Harry slammed the door as fast as lightning, sprinting faster than anything Louis had ever seen in the _opposite_ direction to Louis' family.

Then Louis felt his heart in his throat when his eyes landed on what Harry was sprinting towards: _a scruffy man, dressed in a worn grey hoodie and paint-scuffed jeans, was dragging a struggling_ Phoebe _towards a greyed-white minivan, which had its back door slid open._

"OH MY GOD!" Louis screamed, fingers struggling to undo his seatbelt, scrambling out of the car and slamming the door behind him. The piercing sound of Phoebe's scream was ringing through the air now, and crowds of parents and older students of the school had turned their attention to it, hoards of people rushing along with Louis towards the scene, with which Harry was already three steps ahead towards.

Harry grabbed Phoebe's other little hand, gently despite his speed and frantic movements, pulling her tenderly away from the man before confrontationally shoving the man, _hard_ against his van, so he slid to the floor in a pained heap. Phoebe sobbed loudly, hugging Harry's side and burying her face into his t-shirt as she cried. Louis, and the dense crowd of panicking people behind him, reached Harry in time to hear him yelling abuse at the attempted kidnapper. Harry then ushered Phoebe calmly towards Jay, who was in frenzied tears, rushing forwards and sweeping Phoebe off of her feet.

Several people were already dialling the police, while Louis held the sides of his head with shaking hands and cries. The kidnapper tried to rush to his feet and jump into his vehicle, but Harry was too fast for him, violently grabbing him behind by the forearms and slamming him against the side of the van, his right cheek squished against the cold metal, calling out in pain when he tried to move and Harry restricted him in an even rougher grip.

Louis hurried over to Phoebe, who was stood shaking by a tearful Jay's side now, and he knelt down and peppered her face with kisses, gently stroking her hair and hushing her to calm down her frantic crying. Louis hugged Phoebe appreciably, looking up at Mark over her shoulder. His mouth hung open, in shock and disbelief, his eyes flicking between Louis and Harry. His gaze lingered on Harry for a good few seconds, watching him powerfully restrain the awful man like a trained police officer.

Louis broke the hug and got to his feet again, and Felicite and Lottie took his place in smothering their little sister. Louis found that both Jay and Mark were exchanging looks now, thankful that Phoebe was safe, conflicted as to how she had been saved: by the man who possibly almost killed Mark. Then they both looked at Louis, as the sound of police sirens arose in the distance.

"Louis?"

"He's a good person, mum." Louis interrupted whatever she was going to say.

"He just saved my baby's life." Jay breathed, shaking her head in disbelief, wiping away a tear. "Mark, he just saved our baby girl's life!"

Mark broke down in tears then, the first time Louis had seen him cry in a very long time. Louis started crying again too. Jay was close behind. Police officers swarmed from pulled up cars, rushing over to take over from Harry. Davidson was there. The kidnapper was handcuffed and escorted with a fight towards one of the cars.

Harry was still facing away, his chest visibly rising and falling as he heavily breathed. And then he span around in one swift motion, locking eyes with Louis immediately, then letting his eyes fall onto Jay and Mark. The crowd of people behind Louis' family began cheering Harry for his brave and on-the-ball actions, and Jay hurried forward and locked Harry in a _tight_ hug, burying her face into his chest and looking as though she was never going to let him go ever again. Harry hugged her back lovingly, his cheeks resting against her hair, eyes shut, and Louis' heart had never felt so warmed.

Once the hug had broken, Jay guided a _shy_ Harry over in Mark's direction. Mark held our a hand immediately, and Harry firmly shook it with a smile and a nod.

"Thank you." Mark stated, voice sincere. "Thank you." Again.

They broke the handshake, and it was Lottie's turn to throw herself into Harry's arms, followed by Felicite, and the twins ran forwards too to join the group hug as Harry chuckled and appreciably wrapped his arms around them all. Louis wiped away his tears with his thumbs, heart still hammering, glancing over to see that the kidnapper was in the back of a police car, and Davidson was questioning him through the window.

Harry wasn't free from anybody for long when he was released from the group hug, as he was immediately bombarded by pleased parents of fellow children of the school, shaking his hand and patting his shoulders, a buzz of conversation as they all littered their please about him. Louis glanced back at his family, who were holding Phoebe close to them, and Louis linked eyes with Jay.

"Louis, are you in a relationship with Harry?" She asked, almost immediately. Felicite shyly smiled, a clear indication that she had told Jay and Mark just this.

"Yes." Louis stated. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"He's just proven himself to us, Louis." Mark broke in, patting Louis on the arm. "None of us would have been able to stop that, nobody was even _watching_ where your sister had wandered off to. If Harry hadn't been here, she would be long gone. We'd never see her again." He spoke the final two sentences quietly, so as not to scare Phoebe.

Louis' heart was soaring.

"I love you." He mimed to Harry. Harry mimed it back with an unstoppably charming smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... they didn't even need a plan!


	62. Chapter 62

After a moment of discreet discussion with Mark, out of earshot from everybody else, Jay turned back to Harry.

"Harry," She began, catching his attention, "Would you like to come to our house for dinner this evening?"

Wow, Louis wasn't actually expecting Harry to get an invitation for dinner, that showed just how grateful Jay and Mark truly were. Harry's eyeline flicked to Louis, as if asking if he was okay with it. Louis gave a welcoming nod and smile.

"I'd love to." He appreciatively accepted, with a warm smile. Phoebe seemed very comfortable with Harry after what had happened, still right by his side with her hand clutched into the material of his t-shirt. It was a lovely sight.

They agreed to all meet at Louis' house at 6 that evening, leaving three hours spare for Louis and Harry to spend together alone (and perhaps run through the _dos and don'ts_ of Harry's conduct later.) Once they were alone in Harry's car again, seatbelt plugged in and breaths finally caught, Louis began lightly laughing in disbelief, still in shock, it all still feeling like some sort of dream.

"Holy shit, you saved my sister's life." He shook his head. "Like... how can I ever thank you for that?"

"Just keep on being hot." Harry smirked, brushing his thumb gently over Louis' forearm. "And generally incredible."

Louis smiled quite shyly, then a silence ensued and allowed him to think about everything. Things were going well with Louis' family, sure, but there was still the awful scenario with Zayn in custody. Why in the world had he really planned to get himself into such severe trouble? It was beyond Louis. Strangely, just as Louis was thinking about it, Harry's phone rang loudly in the car, from Zayn's number.

"Hold on, better take this." Harry muttered under his breath, swiping the button to answer and pressing the device to his ear.

"Hello? ... Mate! What's happening? ...Yeah ... No, not really ... Are you serious? Then what happens now, I-- ... Then I'm still a massive suspect, I know I am..."

Louis felt a sense of defeat flare through him.

"Are you in any trouble for a false confession? ... Okay, good, but I'm really stuck now about what I should do, I appreciate your help ... Right, listen, listen. I'll work on them, yeah? Got to get on the good side of everybody. No, _don't_ interrupt me, Zayn. My plan will fall into place, I'm good at working with charm..."

Louis pretended not to be listening, despite the confusing and intrigue clawing at his insides, idly looking out the window at mothers leading their children along the pavement away from the school.

"Okay, mate. Talk to you soon. Bye." Harry concluded, ending the call and sighing as he put his phone away. "Well, they ran that knife through forensics and _surprise, surprise,_ It didn't have Charlie's blood on it. I know he was trying to buy me time and everything by doing it, but I haven't thought of a thing to do now."

Harry softly rested his forehead on the steering wheel in defeat.

"What did you mean when you said you're good at working with _charm_?" Louis queried. Harry continued to speak without raising his head.

"Same thing that happened with the receptionist, really. I just want you to know that you're so important to me and it would mean _nothing_ if I--"

"You're really going to fuck that receptionist?" Louis' voice came out small, eyebrows crumpled together in upset. "Really, Harry?"

"Louis, believe me, it's something that could really work. Getting on someone's good side can really influence the way they speak of you to others in their workplace."

"Or you're just tired of fucking _me_ and want an excuse to sleep with someone new?" Louis immediately shook himself from that thought right after he had said it. "Sorry, I'm thinking way too far into this. I'm sorry."

Harry held Louis' chin and tilted his head up, meeting his eyes.

" _You_ are the only person I will ever love. Ever. Nobody I've ever met has compared to you at all. And I will never be tired of you, you're amazing and I love you." Harry reassured, his voice soft.

"I just don't like the thought of you fucking somebody else. It's understandable, right? Is there no other way to get round this?"

"Would it rather me take her on a romantic date, Louis? Seriously, nothing that will get her literally attached to me. A one-night stand, that will be it." Harry promised. That was true. "She hasn't even agreed yet anyway, she may decline."

"By the way she was looking at you when you were talking, she won't be saying no." Louis mumbled. "And what then? After you've slept with her, what if she doesn't pass on a good word? She might be too good at her job."

"Oh, I will work on her, don't worry." Harry pacted, starting the engine for his car. "Now relax. It will be over soon, I promise."

Louis huffed out a sigh and nodded, knowing he would have to accept it for now. The emotional pain was just unbearable though, the deep down jealousy.

* * *

_ 18:04 _

"Why am I so nervous?" Harry whispered to Louis, as they walked up the path to his front door. He looked so good this evening, dressed quite casually in black skinny jeans and a plain t-shirt yet pulling it off so well. Louis really wanted to feel his soft Harry's hair was, it looked it, but he didn't want to mess it up.

"You'll be just _fine_ , Harry, trust me. They're not too formal." Louis reassured, opening the door to his house. He led Harry inside, shutting the door softly behind them, and they both kicked off their shoes as the kitchen door opened.

"Hi, darlings. Is pasta okay for you, Harry?" Jay asked, greeting him with a smile.

"That's fine, thank you." Harry politely said. It was strange how shy he got around Louis' family, as he was usually so confident in situations, but it was very sweet all the same.

"Great, the food won't be long. The girls are all in the living room if you want you we them."

"Thank you." Harry smiled, and Louis entered the living room with Harry in tow. Lottie and the twins were lounging on the sofa, Felicite kneeling on the floor, fiddling with the DVD player.

"Harry!!!" Phoebe exploded with excitement, springing to her feet and running towards him to encase him in a hug. Harry chuckled brightly and knelt to her height to hug her properly. Louis' face could have cracked in half due to the grin that was plastered on it. Phoebe had really formed a strong attachment with Harry in just a day, though she and Daisy had seemed to have been intrigued by him ever since they first saw him in the shoe shop. Such a long time ago now, it was strange. "You're very _tall._ " She awed when he stood back up.

"And you're very small." Harry put on such a tenderly adorable voice when he spoke to the twins, Louis had noticed it. It was unfairly cute.

When dinner was ready, Louis rushed to sit between Harry and Lottie on one side of the table, Felicite and the twins opposite and Jay and Mark at either end of the table. Harry ate very politely, so politely that Louis was stupidly proud, and didn't talk with his mouth full or say anything out of the ordinary. Things only got a little bit tense when Mark prised questions about Harry's personal life.

"Do you live with your parents then, Harry?" He casually asked. Harry didn't tense too much, but Louis knew it was very awkward for him being asked about his parents.

"I live in my own place but see my mum. My dad... isn't in the picture." He phrased carefully, putting on a smile. He _definitely_ wasn't in the picture, no.

"Ah, okay. How old are you again? You look quite young to be living on your own." Mark enquired, in a friendly manner. Louis knew that this was a subtle boyfriend interview, Mark discreetly finding out more and surveying whether he was suitable enough for Louis.

"I'm eighteen, nineteen in February. I get along just fine." He smiled again, and had been doing so excessively all evening that maybe it was forced.

"What about a job? How do you get your money?" Mark continued on. Louis wanted to tell him to stop. He himself didn't have a job, so why did Harry have to?

"Well, from my family," Harry explained, the centre of attention. "I get a certain amount sent into my bank account every month."

"What do you like to do in your spare time?" Jay broke in, continuing the peppering of questions. Louis felt quite tense, worried Harry wouldn't be able to handle the onslaught of personal enquiries, but he seemed to handle it.

"I do boxing." Harry stated, not as proudly as he usually would - most likely due to the fact that he had showcased said boxing skills on Mark, rather dangerously. Jay's eyebrows raised in interest.

"I could have guessed." Mark wore a sort of 'Pan Am' smile, like he was deep down making a dig at what Harry had done and hiding it with a grin, despite Harry having so heroically saved Phoebe's life just that past afternoon. Louis was growing impatient, Harry uncomfortable and unwelcome, but Felicite noticed and chipped in.

"So, Harry, with the boxing, do you compete in matches and stuff?" She questioned, before forking some pasta into her mouth.

_Well, not since he ended an opponent's life, he hadn't._

" _Sometimes,_ " Harry lied, a tone that was contradictory of himself, "But I mainly do it to pick up the techniques."

Louis noticed that Harry hadn't been eating since the major questionings began, most likely too 'on the spot.'

"Ah, so how long have you been boxing?" Mark asked, taking the role of interrogator once again, to both Louis and Harry's dismay.

"A few years now, since I was about fourteen, I'd say." Harry informed, trying his best trying his best to stay positive, which Louis respected him for. Mark hummed in interest this time.

"I can see with those amazing muscles, you're very well build, aren't you? Do you lift weights too?" Jay reached over to grip over Harry's bicep without even asking. Louis could tell she was on Harry's side here, trying her best to keep things good and sway Mark towards that was.

"Thank you." Harry laughed. "I go to the gym too, yeah."

God, Louis found Harry's body hot, so it was rather strange for his mum to be commenting on it over the dinner table. She released Harry's arm, finally.

"Means you can protect our Louis then," Lottie spoke up, a supportive smile prominent. "Because you're so strong and brave. That's good to see."

"Yeah, I'd do anything to protect him." Harry stated, eyes meeting with Louis'. Louis slowly smiled, the eye contact exchanging the same thought:

_He would kill to protect Louis._

"Louis, darling, could you help me collect up the plates?" Jay asked, her chair scraping along the floor as she pushed it back and stood up. Harry immediately took the role Louis had been given, quick to help Jay collect all the plates up, a charmed smile on her face.

"Thank you, Harry, you're very polite."

"No problem." He smiled. Louis wanted to implode, it was so lovely. Harry followed Jay out into the kitchen, carrying four plates like a skilled waiter, and Louis left them to it and stayed put at the table, even though everybody else was excusing themselves to return to the living room. Lottie stayed next to Louis, smiling sweetly to herself.

"I really like him, Louis, to let you know. He's lovely." She mentioned.

"I'm glad to hear it," Louis smiled, patting her arm. "He is a good guy, just a bit... I dunno, confused sometimes?"

She hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I can see he's a good guy. Hopefully you can change his confusions, huh?"

Louis hoped so. He hoped he could help Harry out of his shitty police situation. Davidson _had_ seen Harry restraining the kidnapper, saving a little girl's life, but it wouldn't have any impact on the Charlie case. That's why Harry had to try to fuck that receptionist, which still hurt Louis to think about. It wasn't going to be that difficult to handle, considering it could be a way along to helping Harry go free from the case. There was no other way, Harry was most likely going to get found out sooner or later.

"You okay?" Lottie was concerned all of a sudden, after witnessing Louis' pensive silence. He shook back into reality, nodding a bit too convincingly.

"Yeah, yeah, of course! Just wondering how Harry's getting on helping with the dishes." Louis laughed. "He's not one to do chores."

"Nice of him to offer then. Saves one of _us_ doing it." Lottie grinned, finally getting up. She wandered off to join the others in the living room, leaving Louis along. He decided to go along to the kitchen, the door closed. He decided to listen to the conversation on the other side before intruding, picking up on dialogue immediately.

"Yeah, it _is_ difficult." Harry was saying. "Just gets a bit lonely living alone."

"I can imagine, honey," Jay sympathised, a tenderness in her tone. "Where abouts are you living then?"

"Not too far away, the big apartment block near the gallery." Harry explained.

"Ah, I know the one. Lovely apartments, those ones, look quite luxury."

"Yeah, it's a really nice space. Really roomy."

"Hey," Jay lowered the volume of her voice to a whisper, though Louis could hear it as it was one of the piercing types. "Why don't you ask Louis to move in there with you?"

Louis' eyes widened, and he immediately turned on his heels and headed away to the living room, very convinced he wasn't supposed to hear that.

 _Fuck, if his mum thought of it, it must have been a vast possibility, having not even known Harry's good side for too long._ Louis didn't know now whether he was ready to pull up stakes and move in with Harry, away from his childhood home... but then again, the thought gave him butterflies. Moving in with his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday to Louis, though it's almost the end of it now. Hope you all have a lovely Christmas tomorrow xx


	63. Chapter 63

To Louis - From Harry: So I've been thinking...xx

Louis' attention was immediately brought more attentively to his phone, sitting up more on the sofa as he re-read the message once again. If was the day after after the almost kidnapping, when Harry had come round for dinner, and Jay had let all the kids stay off school today due to an aura of shock still hanging over them. It was fine with Louis, honestly, to kick back on the sofa and watch some TV.

But he wasn't expecting Harry's text. Immediately, he thought of the whole 'moving in' ordeal, how Jay had been convincing Harry to ask Louis, and that is what Louis supposed this could be about.

To Harry - From Louis: Yeees? Xx

He had to act oblivious, obviously. He couldn't let them know he had been eavesdropping on their little discussion. Plus, he knew it was a massive thing for Harry to do, considering he had been alone for so long in that big apartment.

To Louis - From Harry: Well, about a couple of things. Firstly, I'm not going to sleep with that receptionist. I mean that was a really fucking selfish thing for me to even suggest Louis. I should have learned by now that sex doesn't solve all problems. I'm so so sorry for suggesting that :( I was up last night feeling awful about it .xx

Well. Louis certainly wasn't expecting _that_ topic, but he was grateful all the same. He had been rather distressed about it, hating the sheer thought of Harry in bed with someone else, but he had tried to accept it. He really hadn't though.

To Harry - From Louis: Thank you Harry. I'm glad you realised. Xx

He was smiling now, a small weight off his shoulders. But there was obviously still the Charlie case in general that petrified him. Every morning he woke up wondering whether a new piece of evidence had been found that would somehow lead them to Harry. Every evening he prayed a miracle would cause somebody else to be blamed, somebody who deserved to be in prison more than Harry did.

To Louis - From Harry: Btw another update on the Zayn/Charlie thing, they've completely dismissed Zayn as a suspect but he's found out that they are interviewing Anthony Bridges a lot more now. We've got to hope now that they find out something suspicious about him, otherwise I'm pretty much behind bars .xx

It seemed that way, sadly. Davidson was obviously very much onto Harry, he was suspicious every time they interacted, and he clearly had a reason to be. Harry had wished up and realised that getting a good word about him across from the receptionist wouldn't be enough to deflect any accusations, it was too severe.

To Harry - From Louis: If they dismiss him as a suspect, I don't know what we should do.

To Louis - From Harry: Can I ask you something? .xx

Could this finally be the moving in question?

To Harry - From Louis: Yes, of course xx

To Louis - From Harry: Would you run away with me? .xx

Louis froze, his eyes unable to blink as he stared at the text. Was Harry for real?

To Harry - From Louis: Is this a serious question or a stupid possibility?

To Louis - From Harry: It's real. I'm not joking Louis .xx

To Harry - From Louis: Of course I couldn't run away with you! I'm in sixth form Harry, I still have my A-level exams coming up, and my family are all here! That is absolutely crazy!!!

How could they just run away? It wasn't like they could simply hide from the police somewhere else, it just wasn't possible. Yes, Harry seemed to know a lot about the law system and such, but surely it would be ridiculous to attempt that? Harry would surely be wanted. And Louis couldn't leave, he'd be leaving behind _everything_ ; his family, Liam and Niall, his school and upcoming exams, everything he's ever known. Was Harry's freedom really worth that?

To Louis - From Harry: I knew you'd mention exams. They're important, I know. I just want to warn you though, either I go to prison, I run away on my own, or you come with me. Either way, the first two options mean you'll probably never see me again.

Louis felt a lump forming in the back of his throat, the painful ache of coming tears. He felt sick to his stomach, feeling so lost and trapped. Effectively, he had to choose what was more important to him: Harry, _or the rest of his life._

To Harry - From Louis: I can't lose you. Where would we even go Harry? Have you even thought this through???

To Louis - From Harry: Yes, I have. I asked my mum where she's staying with Gem, they're living with my grandparents in Scotland. That's where I'd be heading.

 _Scotland._ Scotland was five hours away from where they lived now. That would be five hours away from Louis' friends and family. He would have to completely start a new life up there, maybe find a new Sixth Form to finish his A-levels, find somewhere to get a job... what if it was crazy enough to work?

No. He couldn't run off to Scotland. He couldn't leave his family. _But he was eighteen. He was an adult now._ Yeah, he was stuck. He had no idea what the fuck to do.

To Harry - From Louis: Scotland, Harry?! That's so far away. What about your boxing? You'd have to quit it. And Zayn! You would be leaving him behind! Are you seriously sure about this??? How could you be sure to get away from the police??

To Louis - From Harry: I can't stay in Doncaster Louis. The police have my address, my phone number, they could probably track my location as we speak from my phone. We've got to get away from here, I'd love for you to come with me because I couldn't live without having you with me. You're the love of my life .xx

Louis wiped away a tear which had finally fallen, vigilantly looking up towards the doorway occasionally to make sure none of his family members had snook up on him. He realised that Harry was the love of his life too, he had fallen for him so deeply that it was ridiculous.

To Harry - From Louis: You're mine too Harry. But I just don't know. What about money, stuff like that?

To Louis - From Harry: I can sell of my apartment can't I? Change the name on my car's contract, and I've got a savings account. I'm gonna take all the money from that, everything I have on my card, then cancel the card. It'll all work but it's your decision if you want to come with me.

"Louis," Jay burst into the living room suddenly, causing Louis to jump and wipe a tear from his cheek quickly. "Are you _crying_? What's wrong, honey?"

She was quickly by his side on the sofa, an arm around his shoulder, holding him close. Louis quickly locked his phone and held the back of his mother's head gently, chest shaking slightly as he tried to hold back any further sobs.

"I'm fine," He lied, voice wavering a little. "Promise."

"Then why are you crying, my darling?" She worried, holding him by the shoulders so she could look him in his teary eyes. And it made this even harder for Louis, his mother smothering him like this was another reason to stay in Doncaster: she loved him do much, and Louis knew she needed him there.

"I just saw this stupid sad video on Facebook," Louis fibbed, glad he could improvise something so fast, "Don't worry, I didn't even mean to start crying."

"My sensitive, little Lou," Jay sweetly smiled, softly ruffling his hair. "Bless you. I was just going to ask you if you could take the twins out to the park? They're dying to go outside and I know they always have fun when you take them."

_Another reason to stay: the twins needed him there, along with Felicite and Lottie._

"Yeah, of course. I'll take them in a few minutes, tell them to get their shoes and coats on." Louis smiled, waiting for his mum to leave again before getting his phone out again to continue where the text conversation was left.

To Harry - From Louis: My family need me Harry, that's all I can tell you right now. I don't think I can just leave them, it wouldn't be right :( we will talk later, face to face would be better for this. I'm taking the twins out now xx

To Louis - From Harry: Okay Lou. Have fun, tell them I said Hi .xx

Louis half smiled and locked his phone, slipping it into his pocket before going out into the hallway to get his trainers on.

* * *

He stayed out for a good few hours with the twins in the park, running around with them, buying them lunch from she shop on the corner, sitting on the benches. They had been peppering him with questions about Harry since he mentioned that Harry said hi, having to answer them calmly and casually without internally freaking out about the current situation.

He had come to a general conclusion that he would have to stay in Doncaster though. If worse came to worse, at least he and Harry could have a long distance relationship, right? As long as they could somehow keep in contact.

He arranged to be at Harry's house that evening at 5, after he had eaten a quick microwave dinner, and arrived a few minutes before the set time. He didn't knock for once, which still felt massively intrusive but was necessary by now. He found Harry in the living room, inspecting a few things that were on his shelves.

"Finally comfortable enough to come in without knocking?" He playfully asked, not even having to look over his shoulder to know that it was Louis.

"Exactly," Louis smiled, "I figured I'd burst in on you."

"Good thing I'm decent, then," Harry smirked.

"It's a shame you are." Louis reciprocated the smirk. "Anyway, no going off track, we need to talk."

"I wanna make out a little first." Harry purred, turning to grip Louis under the arms and lift him over to hold him against the wall, before tenderly attaching their lips. Louis appreciatively moaned into the kiss, melting into Harry and kissing him back passionately, his hands sliding beneath Harry's t-shirt and down his hot back.

Harry's phone began loudly ringing into the room after a few moments of making out, so Harry groaned in annoyance into the kiss before reluctantly breaking it.

"Sorry, baby," He breathed, voice full of arousal, "Gotta take this."

"Go ahead." Louis urged, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand to rid of the wetness. Harry slid his phone from his back pocket, leaning casually against the wall as he answered it.

"Zayn." He greeted into the phone. "Everything alright?"

Louis awkwardly picked at his nail as he waited, unable to hear Zayn's chatter but trying to judge from Harry's conversation what was happening.

"Okay, _what_? Mate, slow down, slow down, say that again slower." Harry exclaimed, in a frenzy, holding his free hand against his forehead. Louis was watching intently, dreading what the call could be about. 

"Oh my God." Harry whispered, after a moment's delay. "Are you serious?"

"What is it?" Louis interjected, gulping thickly. "Harry."

Harry didn't take in the fact that Louis had spoken, not meaning to ignore him but too enticed in the conversation with Zayn.

"And they've tracked it to _me_? How did you find this out?" Harry panicked. Now Louis was panicking too, his heart thudding. Tracked _what_ to Harry?!

"Oh God, thanks for telling me, I don't know what to do, man. I'm gonna have to leave sooner than I thought."

"Harry!" Louis said more loudly, so Harry raised his index finger as if to tell him to wait a moment, like a mother on the phone silencing their teenage child.

"Thanks for telling me. I better start getting everything together. I've already settled the house, I did that a week ago." Harry muttered to Zayn. Louis' eyebrows raised in shock; Harry had planned this a week ago and only just told him? What?

"Yeah, yeah," Harry continued, "Okay, mate. Speak later, yeah? Cool. Bye." He ended the call and replaced the phone in his pocket again, before looking up to meet eyes with a bewildered Louis.

"What's going on?" Louis squeaked out, gripping one of his forearms worriedly.

Harry drew in a deep breath before speaking again. "They found a fingerprint. A damn _fingerprint_ , Louis! And they've traced it to me."

"No..." Louis breathed out, in desperate denial. "No."

"Yes. It was bound to happen." Harry frowned, reaching under the dining table and pulling up a flattened out box, pushing his hand inside to push it out into a box form. "I've got to pack. Can you help me throw some things in some boxes?"

"You can't go _yet_! W-When are you going?" Louis choked out, breathing frantically, still stumbling forward to grab another flattened box and open it up.

"I'll have to go tomorrow evening, that'll be the soonest I can." Harry stated, voice so stable that Louis knew he was probably holding back tears. "And I understand if you're not coming with me."

Tomorrow evening. Oh God, Louis hadn't mentally prepared for that, it was too soon. But obviously Harry hadn't foreseen it either, having only just received the dreaded call from Zayn.

"You do?" Louis asked, swallowing that ominous lump in his throat to prevent from crying once again. "I mean, we can still keep in contact, it's not like a long distance relationship is impossible." He reminded, placing a few items into the box.

Harry stopped for a moment, froze from packing, and slowly looked up at Louis. Louis was concerned then, eyebrows furrowing.

"... _what_?"

"Louis... I don't think I could cope with a long distance relationship. I need someone with me."

"What are you trying to say?" Louis gasped out, stomach dropping.

"I'm saying that..." Harry trailed off as his eyes clouded over with tears, covering his face with both hands. "...I'm sorry."

"You're breaking up with me." Louis stated, voice cracking on the final word.

"I'm so _sorry_ , I don't want to, Louis, I just..." Harry released a sharp sigh, wiping away a couple of tears. "I know that I can't be with you when I'm so far away, it'll break me."

"So you'd rather break up?" Louis exclaimed, raising his voice slightly.

"Louis, it's for the best."

"It's _not_!" Louis snapped, arms raising slightly in rage. "You can't do this to me, just leave me tomorrow and expect me to be fine with it!"

"Of course I don't expect you to be fine with it," Harry countered, carefully wrapping Louis in a hug, "But it's the only thing I can do. I know you need to stay with your family and finish your education, I completely understand that."

"We've been through so much." Louis sobbed into Harry's chest, hands clutching material from the nape of his t-shirt, Harry softly stroking his hair. "Please don't do this."

"We've still got today."

"It's not enough." Louis heavily wailed, never wanting to let go of Harry. "You can't go, please stay."

"I stay, I go to jail. You know that, baby."

"Don't call me that when you've just told me we're breaking up!"

"Okay, I'm sorry, Louis." Harry broke the hug, returning to packing things into boxes. Louis was stood alone again, arms wrapped around himself, tears still sliding down his face.

"Is this really happening?" He whispered.

"I'm afraid so." Harry replied, finished packing one box, shutting it and pushing it aside before grabbing the one Louis had started packing. "I can't even look at you, I'll start crying again."

Louis didn't know what to do with himself, stood still, watching Harry carefully as he continued to pack.

"Can I stay with you tonight? He found himself quietly asking, voice small. "I want to make love to you one more time."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Harry maturely asked.

"I want to." Louis insisted. "Please."

Harry sadly smiled at him, his beauty still startling to Louis. "Okay. Of course we can."

Louis moved over to sit on the sofa, curling in on himself, bringing his knees up to rest his chin on them, hugging them. He stayed like that for what felt like hours, Harry darting around the room to pack things away. He thought to text Liam after a while, wanting somebody else to know. He couldn't keep this to himself.

To Liam - From Louis: Harry's leaving me tomorrow evening. The police found a fingerprint that's matched to him. He doesn't want anything long distance.

He got an almost immediate reply.

To Louis - From Liam: oh gosh lou, im so sorry to hear that :( I don't know what to say

To Liam - From Louis: You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to tell somebody. Thank you Liam.

He didn't even care to look at Liam's next message, but he saw that the time was ten minutes to nine that evening. He had been sat there on that sofa for almost four hours. Finally Harry settled down a bit, wiping a layer of sweat from his forehead.

"Hard work." He muttered, not being too enthusiastic about it, knowing how distraught Louis still was. "Are you alright?"

"No." Louis piped up, scratching his arm as a distraction.

"This just hasn't gone to plan. But we have the memories we've made, right? We will always have them. And who knows, maybe we'll meet again in the future."

Louis childishly shrugged in response, refusing to look Harry in the eye.

"Don't be like this, Louis."

"What, do you want me to grin and pretend it's all okay?"

"That's better than acting like this." Harry shrugged. "We might as well pretend things are normal for now, instead of spending our final hours together sulking."

"Well." Louis moodily muttered.

"Well what? Do you want to call me selfish? Go ahead. I'm doing this to avoid going to _prison_ for protecting _you_ , Louis. God knows what state you would have been in by now if Charlie wouldn't have been stopped, he was planning on making you a prostitute, for fuck's sake!" Harry ranted, keeping himself at a safe distance from Louis so as not to frighten him. "And, yeah, there's the fact I don't want a long distance thing, but you should know how fragile I can be. It would ruin me if I couldn't see you, it'd be best for me to forget."

"How easy will it be for you to forget? Because you're making this sound like you'll have a new partner within weeks." Louis hissed.

"It will be really fucking hard, Louis. Hell, I'll probably have to cry myself to sleep every night knowing I've let you go, but it's better than being so far away from you and missing you like hell every hour of the day."

Louis nodded and hummed in acknowledgement, yet didn't make an effort to reply any further, nothing more than a simple "okay." This was what heartbreak felt like, a ripping feeling he had never experienced so severely in his life. It made him want to scream and pull out his hair, yet all he could do was pretend he was okay for now.

There had to be a way around this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO.  
> I'd say altogether for this story, I'm aiming for around 65 chapters, so only a couple to go after this! (Finally, it's been over 2 years since I started it hahaha.)  
> Sorry for the sad chapter. Things will hopefully change ;)


	64. Chapter 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year (gone 1 a.m here in England.)
> 
> So sorry if there are any typos, or if this seems rushed.  
> I hope you enjoy.

The rest of their evening together consisted of sharing swigs from a wine bottle, and having slow sex on Harry's sofa. The sex was different to what they were used to, taking their time and embracing each other while they could, and their tipsiness helped to numb the pain of the situation moderately. Louis would be lying if he said he didn't suppress further tears while he kissed Harry during their love-making. It was an emptiness, the feeling that consumed him, that ominous feeling that soon everything was going to fall apart and nothing would be the same again. It was crazy that he had been on this journey with Harry, from being apprehensive and avoiding of him, to never wanting to leave his side ever again.

The next morning, Louis woke up with a hazy mind. Harry's arms were loosely wrapped around him, a thin blanket over their bottom halves, and Louis untangled himself from Harry. He dressed quickly and ripped a sheet of paper from a notepad he found, retrieving the pen Harry had been using to mark boxes, and scrawled a note down.

**Harry.  
I'm sorry to have left so early without a proper goodbye, it's just I know I wouldn't be able to do it. I love you. So much, Oh my God, I'm literally head over heels for you. But you're leaving. And I've got to forget. So... goodbye Harry Styles, thank you for the time we shared, it has definitely been very memorable. Let's hope everything works out. I'll remember you by the ring you gifted me. Thank you.**

He wiped a tear away as he slanted the note against a box on the dining table, refusing to even look at Harry, who was still sound asleep with an empty space beside him. Slipping his shoes on, grabbing his jacket and leaving that flat was the hardest thing he has ever had to do, and he tried not to cry any further. He hated the thought that Harry was going to have to wake up alone and find that note, but it was better than having to hug him goodbye and then let go at some point.

He blasted the radio on full volume on the drive home, trying to unstir his brain's haphazard thoughts, immediately fleeing to his room when he arrived home. He knew at some point he would have to tell his family that Harry was gone. He just didn't know how to explain _why_ he had gone.

He stashed away the ring in his drawer, knowing that looking at it while he was feeling fragile would only make him more miserable, and he wondered whether Harry had woken up yet. He was counting the hours in his head to the evening, six o'clock, when Harry said he would be setting off.

And he cried again, lying on his made bed, because he just couldn't hold it in anymore. His head was flooded with memories he and Harry had experienced, the good and the bad, and how they had recovered in the end, and he felt so sick. He couldn't believe what was happening.

His mother, groggy-eyed and clad in a dressing gown, came into his room when she picked up on his sobbing, rushing over to scoop him into her arms like he was seven years old again.

"My darling, what? Why are you crying?" She cooed, rubbing his back, and he only cried harder.

"He's gone," He mumbled into her shoulder, realising that he was showing a lot of weakness to his mother lately.

"Who's gone, honey?"

"Harry." He whispered, the name stinging to say.

"Gone where?"

"He's going, moving away."

And at that, Louis heard his phone vibrate on the bed beside him. He dreaded it, knowing it would be him.

"Moving where?"

"Away." Louis muttered, unlocking his phone.

**1 new message from: Harry**

He gulped thick in his throat, locking his phone. He didn't want to read it.

"Why's he gone away? You'll still be able to see him, I'm sure," Jay tries to help, but little did she know she was just making it worse. Louis loudly sighed.

"No. He wants to end it. It's over."

Jay hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to fill the silence, but continued to sooth over her son's back.

"He ended it? Oh, Louis, I'm sorry." She frowned. "Things don't always last, you'll find someone better."

"Not someone who'd kill for me." He mumbled. It was a literal thing, but she didn't know that.

"I'm sure you will, darling."

"I meant it literally."

Jay froze again, her hand stopping in the soothing motion along his back.

"You... what do you mean?" She slowly asked. He knew that she had picked up on something, she could sense that something was different.

"He killed for me."

"Killed _who_? What?" She stressed. "What are you talking about, Louis?"

"Charlie Dyer," Louis whispered the name, "Harry killed him."

"That poor boy from the news, Louis?"

"Poor boy? Mum, he was trying to lure me into that prostitution shit. Harry saved me from it." Louis couldn't quite believe he blurted that out so openly, how he had completely told her it all now, but the furrowed eyebrows of consideration and wildly confused eyes from her relaxed him: she was taking it into consideration.

"The Charlie boy was trying to get you into it?" She barely whispered, her voice laced with fear. "My goodness, Louis, if you'd have gotten into that..."

"Exactly. Harry prevented it by killing Charlie."

"He's a murderer, Louis." She began, but shook her head once she tried to remind herself that he had saved Louis' life. "He saved your life."

"And I don't want him on go."

"And that's why he's leaving? The police?"

"Yes."

Louis looked at his phone again, knowing he should check the message.

"Mum, can you check the message I just got from him?" He asked, nudging the phone towards her. "I don't want to."

"Of course, darling." She sadly smiled, scooping up the phone to check it. "It says: thank you for staying with me last night, Louis. I'm sorry you couldn't be here to say goodbye properly but I understand. I just want to let you know that I'm leaving earlier than I thought as I've got everything ready. I'll be going at midday now. I'm sorry, I love you too, goodbye. Kiss kiss."

Louis dug his face into his arm and the tears came again, taking in what had been said. Harry was leaving six hours earlier than before set, and Louis felt like that was even worse. Less time to dwell on it, sure, yet less time to know Harry was so close to him in Doncaster.

"Mum, I can't." He breathed.

"Why has he got to leave you? Can't you go with him?"

Louis hesitated. "Mum, he wanted me to go, otherwise it won't work out, he's going to Scotland."

"Then go to Scotland."

He watched her carefully, face slowly contouring into confusion.

"Go... to Scotland?"

"If you're in love with him, go."

He looked her square in the eye, trying to figure out whether she was serious. She was, he could see it on her expression.

"What about school, mum? I've got my exams this year, and--"

"Louis, this is your life. If you feel you want to be with Harry, then you go. I don't care if you feel you need an education, you can get a job."

"Mum, you're serious?"

"One hundred percent, darling. Don't let him go alone if you're in love." She smiled. "You have to forgive what he's done in the past and remember that he's all you've ever needed. Right?

Louis gasped out a shocked laugh, wiping away another tear.

"You're saying I can move away with him?"

"I know it'll be far, baby, but if you love him that much then go." She was clearly trying not to well up, holding his face on either side. "Please. You're eighteen, this is your life. Go and make it happen."

Louis was stuck frozen in shock, staring at his mother. He didn't quite know how to comprehend what he'd heard, mouth hanging ajar.

"R-Really?"

"Really, Louis! Come on, pack your bag!" She exclaimed. "Otherwise you'll miss him! You've got an hour!"

"Oh my God," Louis breathed out, springing to his feet to grab his duffel bag from his wardrobe. "Mum, this is crazy!"

"You do crazy things when you're in love, honey. What are you taking?"

"I need to call Harry!" Louis realised, unlocking his phone with shaky hands. "I can't believe this!"

He tapped onto Harry's contact and pressed the call button. It only rang through once before an automated voice declared to him that the number was no longer available.

"What?!" He gritted to himself, gaping at his phone screen. "It says it's unavailable! What if he's already blocked my number? What do I do?" He panicked.

"Calm down, Louis, just pack and get to his place before he leaves." She reassured. "I'll go and tell the others."

She rushed from the room, while Louis was still breathing uneven and trying to shove piles of folded clothes from his drawers into the bag. He had no idea what was going on, what to take with him, but figured he could always come back for more things and right now just needed to get to Harry before he went. The bag was stuffed full of all the essentials, everything he knew he would need for now, and it was all beginning to feel like some sort of strange dream. Was he dreaming this? No.

All of his sisters burst in a moment later, bewildered faces and open arms ready to hug him, and Louis chuckled to himself as he allowed them all to embrace him.

"You're going?" Felicite gasped. "You can't go, Lou!"

"I'm sorry, guys, I know it's short notice." He softly smiled. "I'm not going forever, I'll only be up north a little."

"Where in up North?" Daisy sweetly asked, pouting out her bottom lip. Louis smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Scotland, sweetie. You can talk to me on video on Lottie's phone if you want to, remember?" He reminded. He couldn't really handle this, the goodbyes. It was such a sudden thing and even Harry didn't know it was happening yet. What if he was mad at Louis for making him wait so long?

Louis couldn't leave him. Not after everything they had been through. And he knew for a fact that, somewhere deep inside them, they were meant for each other.

He finished the embraces, followed by a "man-hug" with Mark, in which Mark reminded him he was finally growing up and becoming independent, telling him they would forward some money into his account to keep him going (contradicting the independence instantly, but Louis wasn't complaining.) And Jay, looking Louis deeply in the eye, told him that she would always love him regardless of his decisions, and had him promise to call them regularly and let them know the situation.

Louis left his car in the hands of Lottie, who was going to be the first to learn to drive, and she massively appreciated that. Louis figured that Harry would have his car and that would be enough. He only just remembered to grab the ring Harry had bought for him before he left the house. Then Jay drove him round to Harry's, the time _11:46_ , dangerously close to Harry's departure time, as he kissed his mother goodbye and took in all her words of advice, and questions on where he'd be staying etc, to reassure her that he was in safe hands. He watched her drive away, and then it really hit him what was happening as he faced the apartment building: He was choosing Harry over everything else he had once had. That's how much Harry meant to him - Dear God.

He hauled his bag up the metal stairs, tapping up each one until he reached that recognisable door, and he emotionally gathered himself before knocking stably. He was worried he would have frightened Harry, that he would perhaps think it was a law official of some sort, but Harry quite fully flung open the door moments later, clearly not expecting it to be Louis, and his eyes flicked down immediately to eye the large bag by Louis' feet.

"You're..." Harry gasped out a sharp breath, eyebrows raising. " _Louis..._ "

"You didn't really think I could let you go, did you?" Louis smirked. Harry threw himself into Louis' arms, in one of the tightest and most meaningful hugs he had ever been encaptured in, and Harry laughed brightly into Louis' hair.

"Oh my God!" Harry exclaimed. "I..." He took a step back and placed a hand over his forehead in disbelief. "Am I _dreaming_ this?"

"I know I'm quite the dream, but no." Louis smugly replied. "I'm coming with you. Well, if that's alright with you, Mr. Styles?"

"You idiot, of course it it," Harry grinned. "Fuck, I can't believe it. We've got to get some shit into my car, can you help?"

Harry was still brightly smiling, like it couldn't ever be restrained again, and Louis followed him inside to begin the moving of boxes into the car. Soon enough, it was all packed, and they left the sofa (which they had literally fucked on last night) on the pavement for someone else to take - ha. Harry had already taken apart the bed and stored it in the boot of his car. Louis was left in the kitchen by the end, staring at those tally marks on the wall with his head tilted aside.

He heard Harry breathe steadily behind him. "I'm leaving them behind."

Louis looked over his shoulder with a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that. You can finally start fresh, for real."

Harry grabbed him into a hug again from behind, resting his head on his shoulder as they both observed the marks as though they were watching an intriguing film.

"We're leaving this apartment, we made so many memories here. Like the first time I came over and you sang to me." Louis laughed at the memory. "It seems like forever ago."

"Plenty more memories to be made, right?" Harry smiled. "So, so many. My mum and Gem will be glad you're coming too, they adore you."

"I adore them, too." Louis grinned. "Should we get going? Otherwise I'll never want to leave this place."

"Let's go." They made sure they had everything, and then Harry switched the final light out and they locked the apartment up before posting the keys through, as Harry had been advised to. "Holy shit, I'm leaving my home."

"Have you spoken to everyone you needed to? Zayn, what's happening with him?" Louis queried, as they jogged down the metal stairs.

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed, as though he had just remembered something. "He's moving, too, to Bradford! He has family there, they want him to move home."

_Perfect._

"And your boxing mates?"

"They all know I'm leaving, were sad and everything. But I promised them I'll find somewhere to do it where we're moving to, somewhere they'll maybe even let me compete again. I've changed, I know I can restrain myself now." Harry explained, proudly. "I've missed that, the matches."

"You'll be able to do what you love again. Maybe this moving thing will be more of a benefit than a burden." Louis smiled, as they reached the car. Harry started the engine, and then something dawned on Louis.

"SHIT!"

"What?" Harry gasped, seemingly afraid.

"Liam and Niall!" Louis exclaimed. "They don't even know I'm going, Oh my God!"

"Phone them, quick." Harry advised, switching the engine off again. Louis whipped out his phone and dialed Niall's name, him being the oblivious one. He hurriedly explained to Niall the situation, all while Niall was clueless throughout yet understanding, and he could have sworn he heard a bit of a cry from Niall, like he was trying to suppress tears, and it was adorable. It was understandable, with one of his best mates suddenly going away to somewhere five and a half hours away, but he certainly understood. Liam's reaction was the same, slightly getting it more seeing as he had already heard of Harry's ploy to move elsewhere, and he immediately told him that they'd still be meeting regularly via trains to see each other. Louis knew it wouldn't be too different... hopefully.

"You ready?" Harry smiled, once Louis had finally hung up.

"Ready." Louis breathed out, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. "To Scotland, then?"

"You make it sound so casual." Harry snorted. "But, yes, off to Scotland, my prince."

Louis playfully rolled his eyes. Harry drove the car from the car park and onto the roads.

They both flipped off the police station out the window as they passed before erupting into laughter together. Louis knew he had made the right decision, going with Harry. It just felt... right. 

Louis watched as the car left Doncaster for good, but he knew he'd be back some day. For now, though, he was headed somewhere new with the love of his life, off to create a new chapter in their endearing story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. One chapter left, I think.  
> Wow.  
> Hope it was... okay?


	65. Chapter 65

Louis fell asleep partway through the car journey, around two hours into it, and awoke later to find that they were driving through quaint, picturesque roadways. It was rural and wonderfully welcoming, trees outlining the roads and little cottages dotted around the landscape. The sun was bleakly shining through the clouds in the sky, casting a glow throughout the road before the car. He hazily smiled to himself. Harry smiled back at him when he saw him awake, before concentrating on the winding roads once again. He was a very welcoming sight to awaken to.

"We're in Scotland, sleepyhead."

Louis groaned sleepily and stretched out his arms ahead of him, shuffling in his seat into a more upright position and looking over at Harry again, admiring his beauty, with a hint of tiredness on his face.

"Really? Already? Wow," He croaked out, glancing out of the windscreen ahead. It was like they had entered a new world, something from a fairytale book, and Louis couldn't take his eyes away. The scenes around him were almost as beautiful and wondrous as Harry was.

"Well, you did fall asleep for a couple of hours. It definitely seemed like a longer trip to _me_." Harry commented, his smile still remaining. "Sleep well, then?"

"Really well. I guess I didn't sleep all that well last night, seeing as I was so worried about you leaving, and I knew if I went to sleep it would be morning quicker." Louis frowned. He then replaced it with a wide grin. "But now you're here, and I'm here, and it's okay."

"Yeah, baby, we are okay." Harry assured, reaching over to pat his thigh. "Thank God."

Soon enough, after winding their way through long country roads, the car veered left and pulled up to a large country manor house, situated amongst dense trees and shrubbery, with cream-coloured stone and pale flowers vining up the walls. It was absolutely glorious, like nothing he'd ever seen before. Louis was in awe over the large building as Harry parked the car beside the grand water fountain in the centre of the driveway, unable to believe they had pulled up to this.

"This... is the _house_?" He slowly asked, peering over at Harry, who was smugly smiling as he unclipped his seatbelt, opening his car door.

"Sure is. Let's get some stuff inside."

Louis, a bit shell-shocked in the best of ways, stumbled out of the car to help Harry, who was at the boot of the car, retrieving boxes with strong hands and placing them on the clay pebbles beneath their feet.

"Let's just set everything here and then we can knock."

"Wait, so this is your grandparents' house?" Louis queried, peering up at the tall house towering over them. "And I'm going to have to meet them? Do they know I'm coming too? I don't want to just turn up if they don't."

"Don't worry your pretty, little head, Lou. Yes, you'll have to meet them, but they will love you, I promise. My mum and Gem don't know about the whole Charlie situation, but they suggested you come with me when I told them I wanted to move in with them all." Harry reassured. Louis wasn't so reassured by the fact that Anne and Gemma had no idea about the mess left behind in Doncaster, that their Harry was wanted all over the city and was most likely being searched for right this second, but did it matter all that much? Perhaps this was a chance to start completely fresh, quite literally leaving their story in Doncaster behind. It was a positive change, something new.

"Okay," Louis exhaled, placing down the final of the boxes before following Harry up to the front door, nervously kicking pebbles as he walked. The doorway was tall above them, surrounded by glossy marble, and it was fascinating how they were stood at the entrance of such a grand home. "You knock, Haz."

Harry laughed at Louis' nervousness, knocking a stable three times on the misted glass window on the double doors, before stepping back again beside Louis, stroking his back soothingly as they waited for an answer. Louis' heartrate sped up when he saw a silhouette behind the door, coming forwards to answer it, and moments later the door was unlocked and opened. A kind-looking old man stood there, dressed in a burgundy woolen sweater and grey trousers. He just _beamed_ at them, poured happiness.

"Oh my goodness, Harry! That can't be you!" He gasped, encasing him in a tight hug. "Look at you!"

"You're looking great too, granddad," Harry chuckled, as the hug was broken, and he then gestured to Louis. "This is my boyfriend, Louis."

Boyfriend. Louis still couldn't think past the butterflies that gave him. He was still Harry's boyfriend, all because his mother had convinced him to go along with Harry and start a new life.

"I've heard about you, Louis, lovely to meet you," He grinned, shaking his hand, "My name is Brian, I'm Harry's mum's father."

"Pleasure to meet you." Louis smiled, charmingly.

"Do come in, guys, I suppose you have things to bring inside?" Brian asked, pointing a thumb behind him into the house. "I'll help you get some of your belongings in."

"No, granddad, don't worry about it. We've got it." Harry assured. "You go back inside, into the warm. Is everyone else there?"

"Yes, we're all in the sitting room. Join us when you're ready, I'll let them know you're here." He gave a small nod before heading back inside and shutting the door, leaving Louis and Harry alone again.

"See? They're very welcoming of you." Harry reminded, patting Louis on the back.

They began transporting boxes into the house, into a spacious, marble-floored hallway with a grand staircase in the centre, littered with photo frames up the walls (some very cute ones of Harry as a kid, too.) Louis was still in awe over the building, trying to grip the fact that this was going to be his new home for a while. It had to be five or more times the size of his childhood, family home back in Doncaster, but obviously the fact his family weren't there was negatively different.

"Louis! I am so happy you could come along, too!" Anne exclaimed in joy as she sauntered out into the hallway, open arms ready to embrace him. He gratefully hugged her, feeling very comfortable with her already, and laughed to himself on the inside over the fact that she hadn't acknowledged her own son yet before Louis. "Harry, love, how was the journey?" She moved onto him, hugging him equally as tightly and kissing his cheek.

"Tiring. But this one fell asleep," He smirked, nudging his head in Louis' direction. "So I had no one to talk to."

"I was tired," Louis shyly protested, twisting his foot against the floor cutely.

Louis was formally introduced to Harry's grandmother, Mary, who was just as lovely as Brian, and he also shared a hug with Gemma, who was massively grateful that he had shown up. He could already tell that he was going to very easily fit into this family.

Gemma wanted to play the hostess, evidently, and volunteered to show Harry and Louis to their room. She excitedly jogged up the curved staircase, Harry and Louis trying to keep up while lugging the suitcases and duffel bags up with them, and reached a long hallway with many doors.

"Your room will be this one, forth on the right, remember that because I kept getting lost when I first got here." She chuckled, opening up the door to reveal a commodious space, bare of any furniture but an old oak desk and some cream curtains on the large window. It branched off into an ensuite bathroom, which Louis could see through the crack of the door. He new putting Harry's bed back together wouldn't be much fun, plus trying to un-wedge Harry's mattress from where they had managed to slot it into the back of his vehicle, but that bed held too many memories to just discard and replace.

"This is nice," Louis complimented, taking the first few steps into their room. "Quite dusty, but nice."

"Yeah, it'll need a good clean. We decided to leave that to you guys." Gemma cackled. "So... yeah. Get settled. And I assume you've brought your bed, Harry? If not, you better have fun sleeping on the floor, or a forty-minute drive to the nearest Tesco."

"Fun," Harry sarcastically remarked, "I've got it, we just have to put it back together."

"Good to hear. Well, it's almost six o'clock now, so dinner will be ready soon." Gemma informed them, reminding Louis of how hungry he actually was, having not eaten yet.

"Thank you, Gemma. We'll see you downstairs." Louis gratefully said, and she slipped from the room.

"I better text my mum, tell her we're here." Louis muttered, pulling out his phone.

"I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that you actually came with me," Harry laughed, shaking his head, "It's incredible of you, Lou. We can really start a new life here, you know? Completely fresh."

Louis kissed his cheek, his non-verbal agreement, before moving on to texting his mum.

To Mum - From Louis: Hi mum, we're here! It is beautiful, Harry's family are all so lovely and welcoming. Thank you for convincing me to go, I don't know what I would have done if he would have gone without me. I will definitely see you all soon, I promise. Love, Louis xxx

"Mummy's boy, you," Harry teased, prodding Louis on the arm, "I promise you'll get to see her, the trains from here are pretty regular."

They spent some time unpacking some of their things, and had the parts of the bed plus the mattress hauled upstairs to later construct at some point. The dinner Marry had made was delicious and hearty, and Louis felt so very welcome as he sat with everybody around the dining table. He was asked questions about himself, telling them more about himself so that the ice was completely broken and he was no longer seen as a stranger.

He and Harry had fun putting the bed back together, laughing brightly at each other's frustration and celebrating the final result by jumping back onto it like children and staring up at the high ceiling together in their new bedroom. The room was still plain, needing a good repaint and some new furniture, but it felt just perfect right that second as Louis lay by Harry's side and the comfortable silence consumed them. Harry was the first one to fill it, after a pensive period of quiet, as though he had been carefully choosing what to say.

"Can you believe everything we've been through?"

Louis huffed a laugh out through his nose, softly smiling and shutting his eyes. "What, like you pretending to kidnap me on our first day of meeting?"

Harry groaned in embarrassment, covering his eyes with a large palm. "Oh God, I'm still sorry about that, I don't know why I did it. I think I was trying to flirt."

"Terrible job, in that case, because you made me fear my life." Louis chuckled, recalling the utter terror that had coursed through him when he thought he was being abducted and would never see his family again.

"But I managed to get you in the end," Harry reminded, nudging Louis. "Even after all the strange things I did."

"You never did tell me how you found out my name. Can I know that now?"

"Sure, I should probably tell you at some point. Well, you were dropping off your sister, Felicite, right?"

"Yeah, to her dance class." Louis pointed out.

"Yeah, well I was just finishing a boxing class and saw you through the glass doors, _wow,_ that sounds weird," He breathed out a laugh, "And I was very intrigued by you. Well, I heard her call out 'bye, Louis' as you left. So, yeah... easy way to work that out."

"Dammit," Louis chuckled. "Don't know how I didn't think of that. Now, Mr. Styles, my car keys. What went on there?" He smirked, remembering how strange he had found it that Harry had offered a lift and then returned the keys himself not too long later. He had been dying to know ever since what was going on there.

"You dropped them, silly," Harry giggled, very sweetly, "And I picked them up and was going to walk over to you and tell you, but I got nervous and ran back inside and probably looked like a total thieving _maniac_ , so I had to stand in the leisure centre and gather myself before playing it calm and walking out again."

"To find me swearing at my car." Louis laughed, shaking his head against the pillow behind it.

"Exactly. I returned your keys to the leisure centre desk later. And running into you in that shoe shop, by the way, that was a coincidence. I swear on that one. But I had to talk to you, I had to."

"Ah," Louis smiled at the memory, "And I had a go at you for magically knowing my name, when really you had just overheard it."

"Yup."

"Wow," Louis mused. "It all makes more sense now. What about in the milkshake cafe? How did you know we hang out there?"

"Because I found Liam's Facebook and he had posted about it everywhere, saying you all go there Mondays. He should really be careful about what he puts online, you know, or maybe someone will actually kidnap him one day."

"Probably." Louis giggled, shuffling closer to Harry and resting against his arm.

"I'm sorry about what I put you through, by the way. Like the Facebook comments on your photos, things like that. I guess I just craved your attention and didn't know how to do it without being a little bit controversial, you know." Harry admitted, slightly tense now beside Louis, maybe with shame. "You're just so dazzlingly stunning, I couldn't find it in myself to let you go."

"You managed it, Styles. And you are just as dazzlingly stunning, take my word for it." He kissed Harry softly on the lips. "And we're together now, I will forget your strange antics. It'll just be an interesting story to tell in the future, right?"

"I'm glad you see a future with me." Harry smiled, appreciatively.

"Why else would I have come here with you? Of course I see a bright future, I'm in love with you." Louis kissed him again, with some added pressure. "And I've never been in love with anybody else." He kissed Harry's jaw. "But you." He trailed a few around his neck, so that Harry softly hummed out a moan and tilted his head aside to give Louis' lips more room.

"Neither have I." He breathed out, eyes having fluttered shut and teeth nibbling on his bottom lip. "I like you kissing my neck like that."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Louis smirked, voice lowering, attaching his lips softly to the place where Harry's neck met his collarbone.

"So much."

Louis sucked on the soft skin, digging his teeth into it lightly, and Harry released a louder, throatier moan which stirred Louis' stomach with arousal.

"And _I_ love it when you fucking moan like that." He breathed against Harry's neck. Harry breathed out a heavy laugh through his nose, raking a hand through Louis' hair. "And I love your body, the way it reacts to me." He ghosted a hand over Harry's crotch, hearing Harry's breath hitch softly into the silence.

"Please touch me."

Louis ignored the plea and continued mouthing hotly at Harry's neck, surely leaving a few marks down it, and could hear Harry's breathing speed up as he desperately bucked his hips upwards so his clothed dick came into contact with Louis' hand. Louis smirked at his impatience, moving himself so that he was straddling Harry's hips.

"T-shirt off, please, Harry." He commanded, tugging at the hem. Harry smirked to himself before lifting it off of himself, throwing it down to the floor.

"Look who's becoming all demanding. That's new." He teased, lying back again so his gorgeous, toned torso was lain out in front of Louis. Louis leant his mouth down to kiss appreciatively all over Harry's abdomen, glancing up to catch Harry's blissed reaction. Louis trailed his tongue up Harry's stomach, before lying a kiss in its wake. He palmed slowly over Harry's crotch as he sucked lightly on his left nipple, which had Harry gasping and once again attempting to lift his crotch upward to increase the pressure.

"Patience, love," Louis taunted, removing his hand completely from Harry's dick, which he could feel had completely hardened now through the fabric. "You'll get what you want if you're patient. I thought you learnt that when you had to wait to get me." He smirked.

"I hate you." Harry jokingly said, a smirk himself. "Want you to suck my dick."

"I know you do. And you'll wait."

Harry whined a moan of impatience as Louis very slowly unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down, revealing that delicious bulge in his black briefs. He glanced up at Harry through long eyelashes to find a smirk written on his face, an impatient glint in his eyes.

"Go on, Louis." He lowly coaxed. Louis bit his lower lip mischievously before hooking his fingers beneath the waistband of Harry's underwear and tugging them down, so that his hard cock sprang up to his stomach. Louis decided not to make Harry wait any longer, wasting no time in licking from base to tip, then encasing the head in his mouth and lightly bobbing his head up and down with hollowed cheeks.

"There we go," Harry spurred him on, resting one arm behind his head and the other tangling a hand into Louis' hair. "Just like that, you know what you're doing."

Louis breathed a moan out around Harry's dick, twisting his head and taking in as much as he could, Harry with his head rested against the headboard, watching Louis carefully, almost in awe over him even after all this time.

"Fuck yeah, swallow around it." Harry breathed out, voice raspy with arousal, sucking in a harsh breath through gritted teeth as Louis gagged on his dick while trying to do as he said.

"Harry, darling, are you two in your room?" Anne's voice called out in the hallway. Louis quite literally choked around Harry's dick again, this time in shock, and he jumped up and Harry pulled up his underwear and tucked himself away quickly, jumping up to tug on his clothes as fast as lightning.

"Yeah, mum, we're in here." He called out the moment he was dressed again, and Louis wiped the dribble from down his chin that had been caused by sucking Harry off. She burst in a moment later, not suspecting a thing, finding the two of them casually lounging on the bed.

"Good, you got that bed together," She praised, smiling at them. "Are you feeling any more settled, Louis, love?"

"A li--" He quickly cleared his throat, "A little more now, yes. Thank you."

"Wonderful. Anyway, just wanted to see how you're settling in, I'm glad to hear it. Remember that we're only downstairs if you need anything, the two of you. Yes?"

They were both fully aware now that they were all _just_ downstairs having risked doing something so intimate without locking the door (which was actually on the door, they had just been too lazy to latch it shut.)

"Thanks, mum." Harry smiled, sitting so awkwardly to hide the prominent bulge in his jeans. She gave them both a look as though she was ruffling their hair using her glance, before leaving the room again.

"Holy shit, that was close!" Harry whispered, followed by a sharp laugh. "That's going to be happening a lot, even if we do lock the door."

They would surely have to be more careful, for future reference. This was going to be one of the hard parts of living with Harry's family, and right now Louis found himself missing Harry's old apartment dearly.

* * *

As weeks went by, and weeks turned into a month, where they all celebrated Harry's birthday together, and Louis managed to finally have sex with Harry again in the privacy of their room without disturbance, which they had been missing so much. Louis found himself finally getting into the swing of life in rural Scotland as the months continued to go on. The town centre, and all the shops that came with it, was a treacherous forty-five minutes away, but it made for a cute place for little outings. He saw his family again in the springtime, encased in loving hugs and sitting through long catch-up sessions. 

And he saw Niall and Liam again too. They had been in contact every day, but all being together again was something special. He was surprised in a very positive way to find that the two of them had gotten girlfriends in the time he had been gone, and were waiting on getting their exam results back, Louis still felt quite weird inside, having not taken his A-levels, but Harry was more important than any qualifications to him. While Louis was in Doncaster, his heart stammered to find **wanted** posters plastered around with Harry's face. He himself remained below the radar, but felt a deeply ominous feeling inside himself to know Harry was actually wanted now in another city. It sure was a good thing they fled Doncaster. Louis didn't mention the posters to Harry, not wanting to remind him of the mess they had left behind in that city. He knew his own family had probably seen the posters too, that thought made him shudder, but they had not said a thing about them when Louis had his catch-up with them. He hoped maybe his mother had explained to everybody else the circumstances of why Harry was a wanted man.

Zayn even came to visit Harry and Louis one day, in late June, and he couldn't have looked happier. Louis noticed that he didn't look so unhealthily skinny, and he had a sparkle in his eyes that wasn't there half a year back. It warmed Louis' heart, and evidently Harry's too. It was a wonderful sight, as Zayn ran them through his new life, a new girlfriend, dropping the news that she was actually pregnant. Harry cried at that and hugged Zayn for about two full minutes, and even Louis found himself welling up over the news of Zayn being a dad-to-be. He would be a great father, now that he had stopped the excessive drinking and drug-taking.

And Louis felt so blissfully happy, not a single burden on his shoulders, for the first time in so long. Anne had become a second mother to him, Harry's grandparents so warm and always supportive, and Louis even managed to bag himself a job at a corner shop not too far from their home. His life was falling back into place, and he had Harry. It was all enough for now. He felt happy for now.

* * *

It was the 26th of August. The sun was shining through the large-paned windows of their bedroom, streaking the room with bright sunshine. Louis was curled up on the bed with a book, having recently taken up reading as a hobby, now that he had more spare time as he wasn't at school. Harry had gotten himself a job in the city centre, meaning he spent more time away than Louis did with his own part-time job, and it meant Louis had to make entertainment for himself. He would sometimes spend time with Gemma or Brian and Mary, but a lot of the time he was home alone and so found it more of a good idea to enthrall himself in a good novel. A bit of escapism, if he even needed that right now.

The lovely smell of Harry still lingered on the sheets, practically a calming diffuser for Louis as he sat alone. His mind had wandered too much though, distracting him from reading, so that he was rereading the same sentence over and over again without it properly registering in his brain. He stuck the bookmark back between the pages, before shutting the book and placing it softly onto the bedside table on his side of the bed. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and decided to have a tidy up of the desk by the door, seeing as it was scattered with many documents of paper. Louis realised that they were things Harry had been signing in order to join a new boxing academy where they lived, located in the city centre, and smiled at that. He neatly stacked them together and set them aside, happy in the back of his mind that Harry was keeping the boxing up -- it was a nice thing, him having a hobby alongside work. He was always stuck at home alone in Doncaster, which was probably why he was so encapsulated by Louis: he became Harry's new hobby.

Considering it was now a good eight months since they had left Doncaster, it was safe to say that Harry was free from any police suspicions, and they had given up their search for him (which wasn't surprising, considering Louis had watched Harry smashing up his phone with a hammer in the garden one morning, to rid of any possible tracking they could do on him.) He wondered who was living in Harry's old apartment, and how they had no clue the stories that had been written there. They had probably mindlessly painted over the tally marks in the kitchen, clueless as to what their story was, and had built their own life in that home. Craziness.

Louis' phone suddenly began vibrating on the bed somewhere, hidden amongst the thick duvet, and Louis patted around for the source to find that Niall wanted to Face-Time him. He swiped to reply, watching as the pixelated image of Niall's grinning face slowly dispersed onto his screen.

"Louis! How's Mr. Lover Boy doing?" He sang, an amused ring to his tone.

"I'm good, mate, good. You?" Louis asked, quickly fixing his ruffled hair.

"Very well. Just wanted to let you know that the posters are all gone, Harry's wanted posters. They've probably been gone quite a while, it's just I picked up on it this morning."

Louis smiled to himself. Yes, as he had assumed, the police had dismissed the search without a trace to go on. Harry had, miraculously, managed to outrun the police by simply moving to the far North of the United Kingdom. Incredible.

"Wow, really? That's good, I guess. I can't believe he managed to get away with it in the end. Anyone been on about him at school?"

Niall rolled his eyes, his sigh coming out sharp from Louis' phone speaker.

"Eleanor, obviously. On about how he was the one you were 'in love with'," He informed, with finger quotations, "Even though... well, you are. But she wouldn't stop blabbering on. I'm pretty sure she still loves you, man, she sure misses you."

"I literally told her, very explicitly, that she's just a friend to me. If that" Louis muttered, raising his eyebrows in distaste. "She wouldn't stop. Glad to have gotten away from her, quite honestly."

"Where is Harry, then?" Niall changed the subject, comfortably lying back on what looked to be the sofa in his living room, with a long exhale.

"He's at work at the moment. So I'm bored here." Louis said. "He'll be back in about an hour though, not too unbearable."

"Why don't you snoop through his stuff while he's gone?" Niall smirked. "And take me with you."

"No, Niall," Louis protested, playfully rolling his eyes, "I'm not intrusive, like you may be. I trust him, why would I need to go through his stuff."

Niall defensively shook his head, "Woah, woah, I didn't mean you shouldn't trust him, I just meant to cure your boredom."

"Nope, still not my thing."

"Give me a room tour, then." Niall commanded. "Come on, show me your room, I haven't seen it yet."

Louis shook his head dismissively yet stood up, strolling over to the door to their room.

"This is a door," He dopily said, pointing the front of his phone towards the door so Niall could see it, "And we use it to enter and exit the room."

"Not like that, you idiot, I know what a door is. Just show me around, I'm bored!" Niall whined, shaking his phone in impatience.

"Okay, okay! Calm it down!" Louis exclaimed, strolling over to the desk he had been tidying. "This is our desk. Harry's been signing some documents and shit to join this boxing place over here, that's why I've been trying to clear all of this up."

 

"Right." Niall followed along.

"And there's our bed," Louis pointed the screen that way, "Which is a mess because I was trying to find my phone on it when you called."

"That's where all the magic happens, huh?" Niall smirked, ignoring completely what Louis had said, so Louis decided to ignore him too with a roll of his eyes.

"And we've got our wardrobes over there, bathroom through that door over there," He pointed over to it, "And... _yeah._ That's our room."

"Nice, looks very spacious," Niall noted, lying back again, "Better than Doncaster?"

"House-wise, yes. And I have Harry here, but I miss all of you guys like crazy. And I never thought I'd say it, but I even miss _school_ a little now."

 

Niall cackled out a laugh. "Believe me, you don't miss school. It's a shit hole. Still."

"Sorry to hear that, buddy." Louis sighed.

"Hey, what's that painting above the desk?" Niall queried, spotting it above Louis' shoulder in the shot. Louis looked over his shoulder at the piece on the wall, which had been there ever since he and Harry first arrived.

"Oh, that," Louis caught on, strolling over to it and pointing the screen at it again. "I think I remember Harry's grandmother saying it's one by an artist called Thomas Doughty, It's called something like _'Ruins In a Landscape.'_ " He quoted, having remembered that name since he had been told, for some reason.

"Nice. Looks quite depressing, though. Well I guess it would, it's about ruins." Niall commented, shrugging his shoulders. "Really brightens up the room. Why don't you try taking that down?"

That was true, the painting gave off a sort of portentous vibe whenever Louis looked at it, the beigey, muted colours rather dulling to the overall room. He hadn't moved it because it had been there before he had, and it felt rude to, but he could at least try doing it.

"Yeah, that's a decent idea. Let me set you down for a second." He said, placing his phone screen-up on the desk so that Niall could only see the ceiling. Louis unhooked the painting from the room, holding it out horizontally and blowing a layer of thick dust from the surface of it, before hesitating and sneezing. "Man, that's dusty."

"Bless you!" Niall yelled out from the phone, and Louis laughed to himself. He strolled over to the wardrobes and gently rested the framed painting against them, before returning to the exposed piece of wall. He looked up at the newly shown wall and _froze._

It was one of those moments where it was like he could hear a high-pitched, shrill ringing in his ears, and the room started spinning.

"Louis?" Niall buzzed out from where his phone still rested on the desk, but Louis' eyes remained glued to that wall. His breath had caught in his throat, held there, blood seemingly gushing through him now, hot and fast. He couldn't breathe.

Having been hidden by the painting, it was clearly visible now. 

Drawn onto the wall, in that thick, black pen, was one lone tally mark.

**|**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end.
> 
>  
> 
> _SORRY OMG._
> 
> So after two years and two months, it's complete. OMG SO MUCH WORK.  
> Thank you so much for reading, so appreciated!!! :)
> 
> * * *
> 
> Update: wow, 1000 kudos. Amazing :O
> 
> Message me on Wattpad @DirtyLarryStylinson to discuss Larry things :D  
> Comment new story ideas? I'm always up for new storylines. <3


End file.
